Reverse the Pendulum
by adrien skywalker
Summary: Due to unforeseen events, the Kurosaki family is forced to relocate to the Soul Society, where they get caught unwittingly in a web of Lies, Deceit & Treachery. However there is one thing that no one realizes, their eldest son, Ichigo, is the Hollow King
1. An Act of Fate

**_Karakura Hospital, Karakura Town,_**

* * *

The police officer slowly made his way towards the distraught man sitting at the chair near the doors of the operation theatre. The officer shook his head in sorrow as he looked at the distraught father who had seen his family get destroyed in a single night. He had seen such things happen far too many times, but they hurt all the same.

Just then, the door opened and the doctor walked out, wearing his green coveralls, and wiping his brow.

"Kurosaki –san, I am here to tell you the condition of your son," he spoke as he looked at the distraught father.

Kurosaki Isshin looked up and stared right into the eyes of Ishida Ryuuken, who shook his head softly.

"Your son is in critical condition," the man spoke bluntly, seeing no way out of explaining the mess.

Isshin nearly choked with his next breath.

"We have been working on him for the past five hours. We had to remove the spleen – that's okay, you can live without the spleen," he did not need to elaborate that the spleen was an important part of the body's defense against infection, as he knew that the distraught father was a doctor too, and he knew the implications of that statement. He continued, "The liver had a moderately extensive stellate fracture and there was damage to the main artery that feeds blood into the organ. We had to remove about a quarter about the liver – again there is no problem with that- and I think we fixed the arterial damage, and I think the repair will hold. The liver is important. It has a great deal to do with blood formation and the body's biochemical balance. You cannot live without it. If liver function is maintained…he will probably make it. As for the rest, they are easy to heal," the man stopped as he rubbed his forehead.

"It all depends on the liver, if it continues to work, he will survive. We are keeping a very close watch on the blood chemistry, and we'll know more in another ten hours," he finished his report and bowed and left, leaving a thoroughly shaken brother behind.

"There is just one more thing," Ryuuken paused as he looked at the man, "Your son … is now in a coma. Even if he heals from this damage, we cannot tell when he will wake up, if he will wake up at all, for what it is worth, I am sorry," the man spoke softly and gave a light bow as he left.

"Kurosaki – san," the police officer, who had grown sicker by the minute as he heard the report by the doctor, called out to the man, "I swear to you, every policeman in this town, will hunt for this psycho who did this to your wife and son, you have our word on that," the man spoke with conviction, and after proffering a deep bow, he left.

"Are you there, Urahara?" Isshin asked quietly as everybody left the place, leaving him alone, to watch his seven year old son, battle for his existence, swathed in tubes feeding him medicines intravenously, and hooked up to monitors which constantly checked his body for any anomalies.

With a soft whoosh, a man appeared behind him.

He was blond, and had the look of a powerfully built man who had lost his aura over time. He was wearing a green ensemble, trousers, shirt, and a cape with a design of white diamonds at the bottom. His ensemble was completed by a green bucket hat, and wooden sandals, along with a walking stick in his hands, while a black cat was perched on his shoulder.

"Isshin," the man spoke softly.

There was no need for words between the two. In the entire town, apart from these two, only the doctor, Ishida Ryuuken, and the blond man's employees knew what had really transpired that night.

"How did this anomaly happen?" Isshin asked without preamble.

"I cannot elaborate, but my theory is that, instead of absorbing your son's soul completely, that hollow just managed to absorb a part of it, maybe the one that has to do with his sentience, and his core. The only thing that saved your son was the pure shock of watching his mother's death, which awakened his latent shinigami powers and his Reiatsu for the first time. However," here Urahara paused, as he looked at his friend.

"His Reiatsu was leeched off him; the moment it awakened within him for the first time, and because of that, his spiritual core … has been depleted. He will never be … a shinigami; in fact, he might even lose his spiritual awareness as well, including the ability to see even spirits," Kisuke paused, while Isshin gave a deep sigh.

"I see, thank you," Isshin replied softly, while the man bowed and turned back to leave.

As he was leaving, Isshin spoke out softly, "Prepare to unseal my Gigai tomorrow, Urahara. This will not, no, it cannot be allowed to happen again. My selfish desire to insulate my family from my heritage … has cost me dear. No more," the man spoke softly, while Urahara nodded.

Isshin remained in the hospital watching his son, while his two daughters slept in the care center at the same building.

* * *

**_Hueco Mundo,_**

* * *

The hollow known as Grand Fisher had made its way back to Hueco Mundo, after its repast in the mortal world, where it had assimilated the soul of a mortal woman, and her child.

The woman's soul had been disintegrated, and it had absorbed the miniscule power, but the child … its Reiatsu was so overpowering … it almost had the feel of a shiniga…

At that moment, the hollow gave a loud roar as numerous spikes of Reiatsu erupted from its body.

All the hollows in the area, who were nearby sensed the spike and hurriedly moved away from the place, realizing that a hollow was evolving from its existing state, and they knew well before hand, that when a hollow evolves, the first thing on its mind is to sate its hunger, and none of them had the intention of becoming another hollow's repast.

Soon, the hollow began to roar, and then, its body exploded, while all the Reiatsu began to swirl and slowly disappeared inside a vortex.

As the vortex subsided, a being could be seen. It had the appearance of a human child, in fact, its anatomy was completely human like, but its eyes, they were different. The sclera was black, along with his pupils, while his irises had turned yellow. In fact, the child, a boy, now appeared completely human like in appearance as he fully materialized; and as he stood bewildered, watching this strange phenomenon, the swirling vortex, which had slowly begun to recede, became more miniscule, until it reached his chest, at the place where his heart was, and stopped as it plunged in. The boy gave a loud scream, and clawed at his chest as he sank to his knees, while the vortex slowly dissipated, leaving a clear blown hole within his chest.

From a hundred yards away, a man and a little girl stood watching the whole scene in fascination. They were plain and ordinary looking, but with a difference. The man had a huge necklace made of bone sticking at the bottom of his throat, while the right side of the girl's head was covered by what appeared to be a broken helmet …, which was again, made out of bone.

* * *

**_TEN YEARS LATER,_**

* * *

It was just another afternoon, in the usual way in Karakura Town. School had just ended for the day, and the students were eager to get home, and relax a bit before they had to return to the dreaded place of education. However, not all of the so-called students were this eager to get home.

Kurosaki Karin was one of them.

She was a thirteen-year-old girl, and yet, she had the look of an adult, with her downcast eyes, and perpetual scowl, and even adults became wary the moment they encountered her.

However, her reasons for not wanting to go back to her home, were not like the ones you heard of in the news or gossip. Karin did not hate her family, since she had in fact a very caring father and a loving twin sister. Her family also did not hate her since she too had a strong and caring personality, although she was a bit of a tomboy, and a grouch. No, the reason why she did not want to go home was the fourth member of family.

Kurosaki Ichigo, her older brother.

Yet, the sole reason why Ichigo made Karin dislike being at home was not because he was a horrible person or because he did something bad to her. No, she remembered a time where her brother was just like their mother, a cheerful and bright person. Nevertheless, everything had changed on that fateful day.

The day their mother died.

Until today nobody knew what happened. Kurosaki Masaki's body had been discovered along with an unconscious Ichigo on that rainy day ten years ago. Karin and Yuzu were only 3 years old at that time and did not remember too much of their mother, but they missed the warmth she had always emitted.

Their mother, who had been the center of their family, had apparently been stabbed to death or something, trying to protect Ichigo. However, her brother had not been in a much better condition. For more than three years he was in a coma, and he actually woke up only three and a half years later.

That was the last time that Ichigo ever spoke properly with his family members. Her brother, who had been such a lively child, had lost every drive and energy, and the injuries he had suffered had rendered him ... nearly mute. He could speak, but he spoke with a slight lisp, and since it was too strenuous for him to speak after recuperating, he spoke as little as possible.

After he recovered, he solely devoted himself to his studies, with a fanatical fervor, and soon, his work began to pay dividends. He was hailed as a prodigy, someone who overcame a life-threatening event to rise like a phoenix, and soon, at the tender age of fifteen, he was offered a scholarship to the prestigious Osaka University.

After that, he had moved out of their home, to go reside within the university dormitories at Osaka. Isshin, who had always blamed himself for his son's fate, did not object and allowed his son to move away, despite all the misgivings that he had, further driving a wedge between Ichigo and the rest of the family.

Nowadays, they only saw him when he came back to his home for holidays. It was as if he had an aversion to staying in his hometown. When he did come to visit however, even then, he spent most of his time alone in his room, studying. Obviously, it did not help with his family. When there were only the three of them, Kurosaki Isshin, the father, and his two daughters, including her and her sister, everything was fine. They were a very happy family who had overcome much hardship.

Nevertheless, when Ichigo was around, there was always this oppressive feeling of guilt in the air. He served as a brutal reminder, which brought forward the tragedy that they had suffered, and every time he came to visit, it was as if the past had come back, reminding them forcibly that no matter what, there was a blight on their happy family, which would not go away. Moreover, Ichigo never opened up to anyone of them, not even to Karin's twin sister Yuzu, who had assumed the role of her mother in the household.

Sometimes Karin wished Ichigo had died on that day too, just to avoid being caught in that oppressive feeling. And this thought scared her more than anything, making her feel guilty of herself, whenever she was around Ichigo. She loved her brother, at least she believed that she did, but their relationship was probably the most dysfunctional brother and sister relationship ever.

And thus the spiral of suffering continued to plague the Kurosaki family, driving Ichigo more and more away from them. And this day would be no different.

"I'm home." Karin yelled when she opened the door. She threw her soccer ball, which she had carried in a net on the couch and relaxed for moment. She knew that her brother would come home later since the public library, which he frequented was farther away.

"Karin-chan! How was soccer practice?" Karin's sister Yuzu greeted her twin happily. She was wearing a white apron, and the smell coming from the kitchen confirmed the theory that Yuzu had been cooking their daily meal, just as she always did.

"Just like always. I swear, sometimes it feels like I'm the only one taking things seriously." Karin answered a bit darkly.

"Ah, come on, I bet they take things just as seriously as you are! Come, take a seat, dinner is ready. Dad should also be here soon – "

"My daughters! You have returned! Give your daddy a hug - !"

"Shut up! You're annoying!"

Yuzu was interrupted by the indignant shouts of a certain individual named Kurosaki Isshin – their father. Although he was a caring man and loving father, his antics just got on Karin's nerves. Therefore it was not uncommon for the family that Isshin would jump his daughters to shower them with his 'fatherly affection' only to receive a kick to the head from Karin. Just like it had happened a few seconds ago. Unfortunately for the two sisters, their father recovered fast and was seemingly unhurt from Karin's kicks.

"Oh Masaki! Our daughters have grown so strong! They make me so proud!" Isshin exclaimed, hugging the wall where a giant poster of his late wife hung.

The twins ignored his antics as good as they could. This happened every day after all. When Karin sat down and Yuzu came to serve dinner she spoke to her sister with a slightly worried expression on her face. She pointed behind Karin

"Karin-chan, I think there's one of them again… But I'm not sure."

Karin turned around to see where her sister was pointing at. And she was right. A few feet behind her floated the ghost of a middle-aged man, who apparently had followed Karin home. Oh how she hated this.

"Get lost god dammit! I told you already, I don't know how you get to the afterlife!"

The ghost sulked and disappeared – or at least she hoped he did.

That was another thing about Kurosaki Karin. Unlike the rest of her family, she could see ghosts. Isshin had once told her that at one time, her brother too had possessed this gift, but it had disappeared after the 'incident'. Now it was up to Karin to bother with the occasional wandering spirits.

"I must admit, I'm a little jealous. I can only sense a presence, but I can't really see them. It must be awesome to see ghosts!" Yuzu exclaimed excitedly.

"No, it's more troublesome than awesome, believe me…"

Another voice interrupted their discussion.

"I'm home."

The voice of a young man, which was devoid of all emotions. Yes, her brother had returned.

"Hello Ichi-Nii, how was your trip?" Yuzu asked her brother cheerfully.

In the hallway stood a tall teen, he easily reached 5'9'' in height. On his head was a mop of unruly orange hair, which strangely enough was his natural hair color. He wore his university's sweatshirt and a pair of faded jeans. The only thing that was different with him, when compared to other teenagers of his age group, was the fact that he was also wearing a long black scarf around his neck, with the scarf's two ends resting on his back. Karin didn't know that much about the scarf, but according to Isshin, it had been their mother's scarf, and she had given it to him on the day of her death. Ichigo had never let go of it, even when he was in the coma.

"Ichigo! Prepare yourself!" Isshin shouted as he launched himself at his son just like he had tried earlier with Karin.

It was always the same. Yuzu tried to get her brother to open up a bit more every day by being friendly to him. Isshin tried the same thing by trying to get a rise out of Ichigo. Unfortunately, neither of those two ideas ever worked. Ichigo ignored Yuzu's attempts of conversation and simply dodged his father. He didn't even look at them. But what was even stranger today was that he didn't go to the table today, although they were about to have dinner.

"Ichi-Nii, where are you going? Dinner is ready." Yuzu asked her silent brother.

"I already ate something. I'll be in my room, thank you, Yuzu –chan,." The orange haired teen replied with a monotone voice, and gave a cursory nod and made his way back to his room.

Ichigo didn't turn around when he went up the stairs. Therefore, he didn't notice the sad look on the faces of his family members when they looked after him. When he was out of their vision, they sat down and ate. Isshin and Yuzu tried to cheer the three of them up, but it wasn't what it should be like.

And the spiral continued.

* * *

**_Around the same time, in Soul Society,_**

* * *

Sosuke Aizen stood in the line of Captains, Gin Ichimaru on his left and Kaname Tosen on his right. Retsu Unohana, was on the left of Ichimaru, while Sajin Komamura, as usual, was on the right of Kaname. On the opposite side, Captain Ukitake of Squad Thirteen was in one of his periods of better health, and stood alongside the giant Kenpachi Zaraki of Squad Eleven, who was standing next to Toshiro Hitsugaya, followed by Soifon and Shunsui Kyoraku, and Byakuya Kuchiki.

All of them were standing in their positions, while the Captain – commander was seated in this chair, impatiently waiting for the man who had requested this meeting.

The Captain of squad Twelve, Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

The door creaked open. No one was surprised, having sensed Kurotsuchi outside for a few seconds, probably composing himself. When he walked in, the ever-present smile and eyes narrowed into squints concealing any hint of what he actually thought.

"Kurotsuchi Mayuri, I hope you have a suitable reason for summoning an impromptu council of the captains of the Gotei 13 without my permission," Yamamoto's voice was stern, promising retribution if an unsuitable answer was given.

Everybody fidgeted as the commander released a small flash of Reiatsu, effectively indicating the tenor this meeting was going to conduct itself in.

"Most assuredly, commander, I believe that this has very grave implications for the security of not only the soul society, but for the mortal world as well," the Captain replied immediately without preamble, jumping straight to the point.

Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed. Even as Kurotsuchi said that, something sent chills through the young Captain. Mayuri's voice always sounded mocking, but there was a smug undertone that the white-haired prodigy had never heard before.

"Could you elaborate, Captain Kurotsuchi?" Aizen asked softly, while everybody stilled.

"_It appears that a Vasto Lorde class hollow has entered the mortal world,"_ Kurotsuchi replied glibly.

Vasto Lorde were the most-powerful class of Menos, and the final stage in the Menos evolutionary line. Vasto Lorde were the rarest form of Menos, but the exact population of that race was unknown; to date, apart from Shigekuni Yamamoto Genryuusai, the founder of the Gotei 13, none of the captains had come face to face with a Vasto Lorde.

To hear that such a hollow had taken residence within the mortal world, sent a chill down the spine of even the commander.

_"That is not possible, a Vasto Lorde? But they never leave Hueco Mundo, it is simply not possible!"_ Soifon protested while all of the captains began to hotly debate this news.

"Enough!" A small flash of the Reiatsu that the Captain Commander normally kept hidden was enough to silence the room.

"Captain Kurotsuchi, elaborate," the commander ordered as he glared at the chief scientist of soul society.

"For the last six years, we have noticed an anomaly in the pattern of behavior exhibited by hollows in Hueco Mundo," the man began without preamble, as everybody became more attentive, "Over a period of time, we noticed that during certain periods within a year, no hollow would venture out into the living world from Hueco Mundo, none at all. Effectively, for the last six years, during certain periods, the mortal world has been completely free of any hollow presence, not a single hollow has ventured into the living world in those periods, and we immediately began to examine this phenomenon once it came to our attention," the scientist concluded.

"Wait, you mean to say that not even a single hollow entered the living world, but that's …," Hitsugaya began with a shaky voice, while Kurotsuchi nodded, "Intriguing, yes, I know, but that is not what interested me, my interest laid in finding out the source of this phenomenon, and I am happy to say that I have found out the reason for this phenomenon," he concluded with a smug grin.

"We discovered that these periods of absences were spread out evenly within the year, amounting to around eight weeks worth of time. I believe that during those periods, this Vasto Lorde entered the living world, and because of that, no other hollow dared to venture into the living world, simply because they wished to avoid tangling with a Vasto Lorde," the captain concluded.

_"You mean to say that for the last six years … a Vasto Lorde has been entering and leaving the mortal world at will, and you have just discovered it?"_ the commander asked with a raspy tone, while even Kurotsuchi stilled, realizing the impending danger.

"Yes," That was the one answer no one in the room had expected to hear. Everyone had expected Kurotsuchi to have some excuse or reason up his sleeve, nobody expected him to just say he screwed up.

"Because this hollow," Kurotsuchi continued before the commander could retort, "Is quite possibly the most dangerous hollow in the world. As you all know, the more powerful the hollow, the stronger its Reiatsu emissions are. That is how we detect the presence of hollows. But this particular hollow, does not emit Reiatsu; it leeches it, thereby emitting virtually no Reiatsu at all, despite possibly possessing Reiatsu on par with, if not more, than that of a captain, thereby, rendering us unable to apprehend it. It could waltz right inside the Seiretei and we would not be able to detect it, unless it releases its Reiatsu. It took us four years just to confirm its existence. I hope you now understand the magnitude of the difficulty that we face," Kurotsuchi concluded while most of the captains turned pale at that prospect.

A Vasto Lorde walking freely within the Seiretei, unseen and undetected. That was a Shinigami's worst nightmare come true.

"How can it be? By nature, hollows emit Reiatsu. I have never heard of a hollow … leeching … Reiatsu. Is that even feasible?" Komamura asked after a while.

"Definitely," was the retort by Kurotsuchi. "In our investigations, we found out that whenever this phenomenon occurred, a significant amount of ambient spiritual energy was siphoned off from the mortal world as well. After correlating our data, we have concluded that this particular hollow visits the current Juureichi, Karakura Town, which is the focal point for connecting the soul society and the living world, every year, during specific times, and as of yesterday, it has returned to the living world, and will reside there for two mortal weeks, if our calculations are correct."

"Very well, I thank you for bringing this to our attention, Captain Kurotsuchi. The main task of the Gotei is to protect the mortal world from such dangers, and as such, immediately, Captains Soifon and Jushiro Ukitake will relocate along with their entire divisions, to the Juureichi, Karakura Town, in the mortal world. Your only duty is to apprehend that hollow, and if that is not possible, then dispose of it. Captain Zaraki Kenpachi will be kept on standby, to render assistance should you need it," the commander declared after a moment's contemplation, while the eyes of the other captains widened. Sending someone of Kenpachi's level to the mortal world was unheard of. Apparently, it seemed that the commander was not willing to take any chances.

"Do try to capture it, if you can, I would hate to see such a magnificent research specimen be destroyed," Kurotsuchi added, while the two captains in question ignored the man.

* * *

"What do you think?" Ichimaru asked Aizen as they made their way back to the Fifth Division, while Kaname simply walked behind them.

_"After all these years … he has finally made a mistake,"_ Aizen replied with a thin smile on his face.

"You think it is him? It could be someone else, you know," Ichimaru pointed out, while Kaname stiffened at the casual way in which Ichimaru addressed their master. Then again, Ichimaru was Aizen's right hand man, and was allowed more liberties than him.

"Of course, it is him. Who else could it be?" Aizen asked rhetorically as he gazed at the sky.

_"After all these years, finally … I have a chance to get to him. With Ezekiel Nefarria on my side, my conquest of Hueco Mundo will be complete. Send word to Barragan and Stark, and ask them to move to Karakura immediately, to see if they can convince their … fellow ruler. With the third king of Hueco Mundo aligned with me, all hollows in Hueco Mundo will be mine to command,"_ Aizen finished softly.

"I don't know, Aizen – sama, unlike his fellow kings, Stark and Barragan; Ezekiel has never shown any interest in our offers, or our goals. His terms have always been very clear. He will not aid us, but he will not interfere as well, and he has demanded that we adhere to these words, stating that he can do no more, but he will accept nothing less than this," Tosen replied softly.

Aizen narrowed his eyes in irritation as that tiny piece of information was brought forward, reminding him of his only failure to date.

Currently, Hueco Mundo was divided into three kingdoms, ruled by three of the most powerful Vasto Lorde's in existence. Coyote Stark, Barragan Luisenbarn and Ezekiel Nefarria. Aizen had managed to suborn Barragan, and had made an alliance with Stark, but to date, Ezekiel had evaded all efforts made by Aizen to contact him. Despite five years of effort, Aizen had seen neither hair nor hide of the most reclusive and mysterious hollow in Hueco Mundo; but now, it appeared that destiny had finally granted him a chance.

In Hueco Mundo, Ezekiel was unassailable, the sheer ferocity with which his underlings guarded him, had made it impossible for him to approach the hollow. Even Stark and Barragan had declared publicly, that if Sosuke Aizen ever intended to lead all the hollows in war against Soul Society, then he would have to convince Ezekiel to join him as well, and neither of them would assist him in this.

If Aizen wanted to command all the hollows, then he would have to prove that he single handedly possessed the ability to command the three kings of Hueco Mundo, that had been the challenge that had been issued to him, and Aizen, had now gained the allegiance of two of the three kings. All he needed to begin his plans were the Hogyoku and the allegiance of the third king of the hollows, Ezekiel Nefarria.

And now, finally, Ezekiel had made a mistake. He was in the mortal world, alone, and without any of his underlings, it was simply too good a chance to pass up.

* * *

**_Karakura Town,_**

* * *

Unaware of all this, in the mortal world, most of the members of the Kurosaki family, soon to be the focal point of the struggle between Heaven and Hell, slept on, while Ichigo Kurosaki, the son of the said family remained awake, studying during the night.

Suddenly, there was a small sound, similar to clothes being ripped apart, and Ichigo felt a presence enter his room.

Without turning back, he spoke in a soft tone, "You wouldn't have disobeyed my orders and come here unless something of monumental importance has taken place. So, tell me, what is wrong, _Ulquiorra_?"

* * *

**_Authors Note:_**

1. I had no idea of creating another story, but this was an exception, because, this is the first story that I have adopted. The original author is faroush, he has dropped this story, and I agreed to take up his story, simply because I too had planned for a long time on writing a story with this genre. Where instead of Ichigo Kurosaki, his sister Karin is the one who is granted the powers of a shinigami by Rukia Kuchiki.

2. As many of you have guessed, Ichigo Kurosaki is indeed the third king of Hueco Mundo, Ezekiel Nefarria, and the hollow that Aizen desperately wants serving under him.

3. The Espada will be created, but they will vary, and Ichigo's true status as a hollow, will not be revealed to anyone until Aizen's betrayal.

4. Kurosaki Isshin has regained his powers, but he still doesn't know the truth about his son.

5. Soul Society is in fact unaware of the fact that Hueco Mundo has evolved and split into three kingdoms. Because, this is a relatively new development, which occurred after Ichigo became a hollow. More about this will be revealed in later chapters.

6. There are already few Arrancar existing, pure original Arrancar, which evolved naturally instead of the ones created by the Hogyoku. It will play a part as well, but in later chapters.

7. Ichigo's true abilities and powers will be explained later, as will his unique appearance, and powers.

8. The soul society arc, with Rukia's execution will take place, but things will be handled very differently this time.

9. By Faroush's request, Karin will be paired with Hitsugaya, but for Ichigo, I am currently debating between Senna and Soifon. If you want to, you can suggest someone as well, but it will not be Ichi Ruki, sorry.

10. And oh yes, this time, the first time Ichigo and Byakuya meet, it will be Byakuya who gets his ass kicked.

11. That is all for now, see ya.


	2. The Third King of Hueco Mundo

"Stark, you have five minutes to explain why you requested this meeting with me, before I leave. For you to have forced Ulquiorra to disobey my orders, and have him come to the mortal world to convey the request, means that something must have happened. What is it? " Ichigo spoke curtly, as he eyed the man in front of him.

Currently, both of them were sitting on a bench in the garden of the Karakura cemetery. Oddly, considering the nature of the two participants of the conversation, in retrospect, the place seemed ironically suitable.

"Aizen has requested another meeting with you, again," Stark spoke softly, as he looked at the boy, whose face showed no emotion as that particular request was made to him.

"And my answer is still the same as it was, _no,_" Ichigo replied curtly, as he gazed at the man after pausing for a second, as if to consider what had been asked of him.

Stark sighed, as he flattened his thick floating mane of hair, which fell back to his shoulders.

"Damn it, Ichigo, do you know what kind of a position this puts me and Barragan in?" the man asked as he gazed at his younger companion solemnly.

"That is your fault for allying yourself with that shinigami in the first place, if you care to remember, I did warn you and Barragan to avoid getting entangled in this affair, but you ignored my warnings, and now, you come to me, with the same preposterous notion," Ichigo replied softly as he gazed at the older man.

"Easier said than done, Ichigo, you are not aware of the abilities that Sosuke Aizen possesses, it was an exceedingly harsh effort for me to force him to treat me as an equal, and he did defeat Barragan, and apart from you and me, can you think of any other person remotely capable of accomplishing that feat?" Stark asked softly, while Ichigo narrowed his eyes.

"So what, are we supposed to fear him?" Ichigo asked as he looked at Stark, whose face remained blank of all emotion.

"You don't fear anyone, Ichigo, that is your problem," Stark replied after pausing for a while, "Fear can be useful, it helps in curbing your impulsiveness, and makes you think rationally, when otherwise you would not. The world seems simple to you, Ichigo, but know this, when you become a king, very few choices seem simple," the elder hollow spoke softly, "We cannot afford to make an enemy of a shinigami of Sosuke Aizen's caliber, not at this juncture, when our entire race stands at the brink of destruction," he concluded with a sigh of regret, while Ichigo snorted.

"Barragan has only himself to blame for his defeat. If the old fool had not been so adamant in refusing our aid, this Aizen would never have been able to set foot in Hueco Mundo itself. He isolated himself, and his people, purposefully, and because of that, we were caught unawares of this shinigami, one who fancies himself a deity, when he snuck in and subjugated him, thus gaining a foothold in our world," Ichigo spoke curtly while Stark shook his head cursing the obstinacy of the youngster in front of him.

"Things are coming to a head, Ichigo; soon, Aizen will declare his war against the heavens, and once again, the Soul Society and the Hollow nation will be at war," Stark spoke softly. "We need you, Aizen needs your help, I need your help, Barragan needs your help, the hollows need your help," Stark spoke as he gazed at the sky solemnly.

"Why?" Ichigo snorted, "Are the hollows tired of fighting each other? Besides, the shinigami have never harmed me. If you wish to ally yourself with a shinigami who wishes to betray his own people, what business is that of mine?"

"Your business is with your people, Ichigo," Stark spoke softly, "When you accepted the mantle of the third king of Hueco Mundo, you became responsible for the safety and well-being of those who live under your protection. You have a duty towards them, you cannot run away from this, not this time," Stark concluded as he gazed at his young friend.

"Is it?" Ichigo asked softly, as he gazed at the older hollow.

"The man has no honor, if he can betray his own people, without a thought, what makes you so certain that he will not betray you, Stark? You know, as well as I do, that the moment he obtains what he seeks, this shinigami will have no need to honor his agreement with you or Barragan, since he will be too powerful for you to oppose then, so, answer me, why, are you agreeing to this farce of a agreement with this shinigami, when you know that he intends to betray you?" Ichigo asked softly.

"This war has been a long time in the offing, Ichigo, it was bound to happen, whatever we may hope for the contrary, and it will happen, this Aizen is just the catalyst to tip the scales, and you know this as well," Stark replied softly.

"Huh, so, you are going along with the tide, so to speak? That doesn't sound like the laidback man who was once my teacher, and was heralded as the strongest of the three kings," Ichigo snorted, while Stark gave a thin smile.

"Times change, people change, even hollows change; I can no longer sit by, and watch our kind be slaughtered like vermin, without a shred of mercy by these shinigami, even though we give them no cause for offence," Stark paused, as he gazed at the boy sitting next to him.

"You have not seen the brutality of the shinigami, Ichigo, they care for nothing, absolutely nothing; they follow their own skewed moral code, believing only their school of thought as the righteous path, and that everything else is irrelevant, and if they find someone irrelevant, then they instantly murder them, in cold blood, under the spurious justification of maintaining order. What do they know of us? Do you think that they even pause to consider whether we truly desired this accursed life? We did not become hollows because we desired to be, we simply had no choice, and we are killed for it, just because of the reason that we exist. Animals hunt other animals to eat, to survive, we are no different, and yet, they let those creatures exist, claiming it is the cycle of nature, while we, are butchered like cattle. Why? We never asked to be hollows, but now we are trying to make do with what we do have, and yet, this is the fate we face. Do we not have a right to exist? Can you not see the hypocrisy of the shinigami? I allied with Aizen, so that I could at least use this war as a pretense to kill as many shinigami as I could, to ensure that at least most of the hollows under my rule, survive, and Barragan is no different," the man concluded as he stood up.

"You have changed, Stark Nii – san," Ichigo spoke as he stood up, "whether it is for better or not, I cannot yet tell, but know this, I will not ally myself with this shinigami, he who would so casually slit the throat of his own comrades for his personal gain; a man with so much ambition can never be trusted. If you need my help, I will help you personally, but my realm, and my people, will have nothing to do with this war. Send this message to that would be Godling," Ichigo spoke curtly, while Stark stood up, realizing that this meeting was over.

"Very well, I hope you understand the significance of what I wished to convey to you today, I only pray that it is not too late by then," Stark replied as he got up, while Ichigo just shrugged his shoulders in return.

"And one more thing, Ichigo, it appears that the shinigami have finally learned of your existence; be warned, Aizen has informed me that they are sending their foremost assassin to eliminate you," the man warned him as he ripped open the Garganta to Hueco Mundo.

"Really?" Ichigo drawled in a silky tone, while his entire demeanor changed instantly.

Stark recognized the signs immediately, and became alert.

"Don't take any foolish risks, Ichigo, not now," Stark warned the boy, who shrugged off the warning with a casual wave. At that, Stark truly became alarmed. The fact that made Ichigo Kurosaki, otherwise known as Ezekiel Nefarria, the third king of Hueco Mundo, famous throughout the Hollow world, was his penchant for taking extraordinarily bold risks, which would have been considered as suicidal to attempt, even for hollows of Vasto Lorde class. Not for nothing had the boy ascended to the pinnacle of their race within ten years after becoming a hollow, and if there was one thing that Stark knew, it was that the boy never backed away from a challenge, and this situation could be most certainly termed as one.

"And who … may I ask … is this assassin? The one said to be Soul Society's greatest executioner?" Ichigo inquired in a quiet tone, while Stark frowned.

At last, grudgingly, he replied, "Her name is Soifon, the Captain of the Second Squad, and the commander of their Covert forces," Stark replied truthfully, while Ichigo's eyes slightly widened in surprise.

"A woman? And a captain no less! This gets better and better, I hope she can provide a better challenge than Barragan's daughters," Ichigo smirked slightly, while Stark just stared at the boy.

"Don't take any unnecessary risks, Ichigo," Stark warned once again, While Ichigo snorted, "You know me better than that, Nii – san," he dismissed the older man's apprehensions, at which Stark sighed, "That's what I am afraid of," the man spoke in a saracastic tone as he entered the Garganta to leave towards Hueco Mundo.

"So, Soifon … eh? I do believe a visit to the Soul Society is in order," Ichigo whispered to himself as he made his way towards his home.

* * *

**_Five days later, in Soul Society,_**

* * *

Soifon and Jushiro Ukitake were surprised to receive a summons for an emergency meeting of Captains, especially when they were preparing to depart for their mission to the real world. To go so far as to interrupt a mission before its inception meant that something of enormous importance had occurred.

Frowning, they ordered their squad members to depart to the real world, and to prepare for their arrival, while they moved ahead to attend the meeting of Captains immediately.

With a curt nod, the two respective squads departed immediately for the real world, while the two captains made their way towards the Captain's meetings.

Amongst the members of squad 13, Rukia Kuchiki slowly made her way towards the Senkaimon, not knowing the fate that was to befall her shortly, one that would be the precursor to the greatest conflict of all time, in the history of Soul Society.

* * *

**_First Division Headquarters,_**

* * *

Soon, all the captains assembled in the chambers of the first division while the commander brought the meeting to order.

Soifon immediately took the initiative, "Sotaicho – sama, if I may, can I ask why we were ordered back here, when we were on our way to begin our mission for the search of the elusive Vasto Lorde?"

The Captain Commander glared at the young girl, well, she was more than two hundred years old, but to a shinigami of his age, everybody was young, regardless of their status and age.

"Yare, Yare, so impatient, Soifon – chan," Kyoraku muttered softly, while she glared at him with a icy look which made even Toshiro Hitsugaya's Hyorinmaru pale in comparison.

"Some new developments have occurred, which warranted this impromptu meeting of Captains. We have recently gained a source of information on this elusive hollow, and the information that we have gained is … quite troubling," much to everybody's surprise, this came not from the commander, but from the captain of the 4th squad, Retsu Unohana.

"Unohana – senpai, I do not understand," Ukitake replied as confusion marred his features, while the rest of the captains became more attentive, chiefly among them, Sosuke Aizen.

"Three days ago, one of the scouting parties sent by the eighth squad to the periphery of Hueco Mundo returned with a lone shinigami, who had been trapped in that desolate world for the last three centuries. It appears that after his patrol was killed there; this boy remained in Hueco Mundo alone, fighting off those hollows for more than three centuries, until he was rescued by the eighth squad. And, let it suffice to say that the information he has given us is quite dangerous in its scope," Unohana continued, while the eyes of most Captains widened.

"A lone shinigami survived within Hueco Mundo for more than three centuries? Most impressive, who is he?" Aizen asked quietly as most of the other captains nodded slowly in agreement at the assessment, even as his mind immediately began to analyze the new information furiously. He already had an inkling as to who this shinigami could be, but he wished to confirm it, before acting further.

"You will find this to your liking, Jushiro, I guarantee it," Kyoraku replied with a cheeky grin, while Ukitake became flustered at that, however, Kyoraku continued, "He was in your squad, after all. I believe you took Kaien – kun as his replacement."

"My squad?" Ukitake spoke in shock, while the other captains also stared at him in surprise, when suddenly realization dawned upon him like a bolt out of blue, "Wait … you can't mean … Ashido? Ashido Kano? Is it really …," Ukitake spoke in amazement, while Kyoraku gave a full-blown grin.

Instantly, Ukitake whirled around, to go to the fourth squad, when he was stopped by Unohana, "He is still too weak, Ukitake – san, you can go to him afterwards, but for now, please stay here," she spoke gazing at him softly, while Ukitake curbed his impulse and stood still.

"It is indeed Ashido Kano, the former lieutenant of the thirteenth squad who was presumed to be killed in action, that was rescued from Hueco Mundo, and he, was the one who provided the information, that in all aspects, we would have been unable to gain otherwise," Yamamoto replied again, taking control of the situation, before the meeting degenerated into out of control.

"So… what is so damn special about the information that this kid brought out then?" Zaraki, ever the impatient one, ground out.

"The hollow … that you were being sent to apprehend … is none other than the '_King of Hollows_'," this time, it was the voice of Mayuri Kurotsuchi, which came out.

The effect of this statement nearly rocked all the captains back to their feet.

* * *

"_King of Hollows_?" Hitsugaya asked in shock, while the other captains seemed too stunned to react.

"What kind of delirious nonsense is this? Hollows have no King, they are mindless beasts, they have not an ounce of civilization, to have something like a '_King_'," Byakuya Kuchiki retorted, while Kurotsuchi shook his head, feeling sorry for the naiveté of the pompous noble.

"Captain Kuchiki, henceforth, kindly refrain from making such comments, until you don't have a clear picture of what you are talking about," the man retorted, while Byakuya narrowed his eyes at the implied insult sent his way by the Captain of the twelfth squad.

"Enough, Captain Kurotsuchi, why wasn't I informed about this development? I believe, as the leader of the Onmitsukido, it is my job to conduct such interrogations?" Soifon asked testily.

"Once he was brought back, despite his severely injured condition, the young man insisted on delivering this information to the commander and the Central 46 chambers first of all, before anything else, and immediately after that, he was interned at the 4th squad barracks, while the twelfth division was ordered to evaluate this information, along with the information already in their possession," Unohana replied softly, while Aizen narrowed his eyes as he took in all the information, without so much as a twitch showing up on his face.

"So, A king of hollows, eh? Sounds like it could be one hell of a fight," Zaraki hungrily licked his lips in anticipation, already imagining the prospect of such a heavy battle.

"But, when did the hollows become so organized as to form such a civilized society? I thought that hollows didn't have the mindset for such endeavors?" Komamura replied with a worried tone, while the other captains became silent as the implications of that statement hit them.

By nature, they found it hard to deal with hollows already, which in their mindless frenzy and bloodlust were difficult to counter. But, if they were to become organized like a military, much like the Gotei 13, then the damage that they could wreak upon the world would be … **_incalculable_**.

"What information … did this boy divulge with regards to this '_King of Hollows_'?" Aizen asked softly, while Kurotsuchi's face took a look, which could only be termed as gleeful.

"This hollow's name … is _Ezekiel Nefarria_," Kurotsuchi replied, at which, even the stout heart of Aizen Sosuke, nearly skipped a beat.

"Ezekiel Nefarria … quite a unique name," Kyoraku muttered as he scratched the stubble on his chin, while Kurotsuchi continued in the same vein.

"A unique name, for a very unique hollow indeed," Kurotsuchi continued again in the same chipper mood, much to the annoyance of the other captains, and finally, Zaraki lost his patience "Quit your damn yapping, get on with it already."

"It appears that this particular hollow is not a Vasto Lorde as we suspected," Kurotsuchi continued, while the other captains narrowed their eyes at the behavior of the captain of the twelfth squad. Anything that could make him so happy usually meant that the news was very bad indeed.

"Not a Vasto Lorde?" Kaname Tosen asked in surprise, while the other captains had similar looks of astonishment on their faces.

"Indeed, for this hollow, has evolved to the stage … _beyond that of a Vasto Lorde_," Kurotsuchi grinned maliciously, as even some of the captains reflexively took a step back in shock at the information.

"You can't be serious," Kyoraku blurted out, his demeanor changing from joviality to full-blown seriousness instantly.

"On the contrary … I have never been more serious in my life. This is a chance of monumental proportions. From the new information that this child has given us, combined with the information that we already have, we have built up a fairly accurate profile of this hollow, and it is intriguing to say the least," Kurotsuchi continued, while most of the captains gave an involuntary shudder at that point.

"I still maintain that this hypothesis of yours is inaccurate. You are basing your opinions on the information, which has been given to you by a lone shinigami, who has been trapped in enemy territory for more than three centuries, and we have no idea as to what damage he has suffered to his mental faculties, being forced to endure the torture of that world alone, for three hundred years. How can you be so certain that this information provided by this boy is accurate? Unohana – taicho, as a healer, even you too must admit that my concerns are valid, and have a basis in fact. Might it not be so, that this boy is exaggerating the information given to you, to goad the Gotei 13 into taking action against the hollows in Hueco Mundo, so that his fallen comrades may be avenged?" Byakuya spoke out, while Kurotsuchi narrowed his eyes.

An extremely tense silence followed Byakuya's declaration as most of the captains looked at each other with unease.

Before Unohana could reply, Kurotsuchi cut in with an icy clarity, "Just because you do not like the nature of the information that has been conveyed to you, doesn't mean that that information is inaccurate, Lord Kuchiki. In future, I suggest that henceforth you leave the actual evaluation of such information to people who actually have some knowledge in these matters. Just as I don't question your competence in the areas of your proficiency, I suggest you show a similar courtesy with regards to my work," the man finished snidely, while quite a few eyebrows were raised at the manner in which Kurotsuchi had spoken.

For one thing, no one could ever remember someone speaking so strongly to Kuchiki Byakuya of all people, it seemed that this matter was far more serious than it appeared, if Kurotsuchi was willing to go so far as to risk offending the head of one of the four great noble clans of the Soul Society.

After a moment, Byakuya merely gave a guarded nod, before the Captain – commander could intervene, and Kurotsuchi continued, "As I was saying before, this '_King of Hollows_' has indeed evolved into a stage beyond that of Vasto Lorde, because according to the pattern with which we tracked his forays into the living world, we now know clearly, that his control over Reishi is exceptional. No, not exceptional, he has achieved complete dominance over Reishi," the scientist concluded, at which Ukitake intervened.

"Dominance … but that would mean …," Ukitake began in a whisper, while Kurotsuchi nodded, "Yes, it appears that he has the ability to control the level of spiritual energy within not only himself, but also in other spiritual beings. In other words, this hollow has the ability to control your spiritual energy, and even turn it against you, if necessary," Kurotsuchi concluded, while quite a few captains began to feel apprehensive.

"_Based on all this information, I can safely say that a hollow stronger than him has not been born in the last 1,000 years_," Kurotsuchi concluded flatly, while a ripple of unease spread throughout the captains.

* * *

"Surely, that is an overstatement, Captain Kurotsuchi, you can't possibly expect us to believe that," Ichimaru Gin, the captain of the third squad spoke out with a murmur of protest in his voice, while Kurotsuchi shook his head.

"Oh, you think so, do you know, Captain Ichimaru, that this hollow has been within the Seiretei already?" Kurotsuchi, spoke in an uncharacteristically soft tone, while even the Captain – commander stood up, his nostrils flaring at that bit of information.

"What do you mean Kuro …," the captain commander began, when suddenly a commotion could be heard from outside the doors of the chambers, interrupting the Captain – Commander's tirade.

* * *

_Before any of them could react, the doors of the chambers opened, and in walked an extremely haggard looking Mayuri Kurotsuchi, bleeding like a skewered animal, with his eyes bloodshot and looking irate._

* * *

"Where is he … where is that wretch who attacked me? So help me, I will pickle him limb from limb in vats of acid," the man screamed hoarsely, as he clutched his zanpakuto in his hands, even though he was barely able to stand properly.

"What in the name of …," Hitsugaya turned around instantly, only to see that a wicked grin adorned the face of the Kurotsuchi Mayuri who was in the chambers already with them.

Almost all of the captains looked stunned at the turn of events, and they looked back and forth between the two Kurotsuchi Mayuri's, unable to discern the meaning of this debacle.

Sosuke Aizen, a man whose brilliant scheming and Machiavellian plots had completely fooled the entire population of the most powerful military in any dimension; a man known for nothing so much as his multi-layered genius and unimaginably complicated plots, both amazing even considering the millennia he'd had to practice them; a man who was, in short, possibly the most clever schemer Soul Society had ever seen, stood entranced, watching in fascination as he saw something that he had never imagined to be possible, occur in front of him, and for once, with him being unable to discern the current situation. He found that feeling rather irritating.

Before, any of the captains could react, the Kurotsuchi who had been with them, since the beginning, vanished in an extremely fast Shunpo, so much so, that even most of the captains had difficulty in tracking his movement.

By the time they had recovered from the initial shock, they saw that the man had moved behind Soifon, and had taken her captive, by holding her own zanpakuto to her throat.

"Well, it looks he escaped much earlier than possible, still, I guess it couldn't last forever," the man muttered with a small sigh, as the rest of the captains withdrew their swords and turned as one and faced the man, while Soifon furiously struggled to get out of his hold.

"Identify yourself," Yamamoto thundered as his cane vanished, and Ryuujin Jakka materialized in his hands.

* * *

"Well, Yamamoto – dono, you … may call me … _Ezekiel Nefarria_," the man spoke with a flourish, as he took out a scroll from his robes and lobbed it towards the old commander, and before anyone could react, he ripped open a Garganta, and entered it; dragging away with him, Soifon, the Captain of the second division, as his prisoner, while the woman struggled futilely to get out of his grasp.

* * *

All hell broke loose in the chambers the next moment.

The King of Hollows had just kidnapped a Captain of the Thirteen Imperial Court Guard Squads from amidst the presence of all the other captains, including the Captain – Commander himself.

* * *

**_Authors Note:_**

_1. Well, I say that went well, wouldn't you say? The next few chapters are going to show how Soifon will spend her brief period as a captive of Ichigo, while on a parallel note, Rukia and Karin get in contact with each other, and the Rukia execution arc will begin in the next chapter as well. How do you think Aizen and Yamamoto will react to this development? The best suggestion will be added as a part of the story, if I can finagle it; that is, after giving due credit to the one who suggests it, of course. _

_2. And before any of you jump on my case, stating that Ichigo's status as the hollow king is supposed to be secret, please remember, the fact that is secret is not that he is the king of hollows, but the fact that Ezekiel Nefarria has a double life as a human teenager named Ichigo Kurosaki. The only one's who know this secret currently are Stark and Ulquiorra, and even Barragan doesn't know that fact. Same holds true for Aizen. He is searching for the third king of hollows, but he doesn't know that Ezekiel has been living as a mortal in the living world all this time. Ezekiel and Ichigo have personalities that are polar opposites, much about this will be explained in the later chapters._

3. _On a side note, I wanted to say that one of my earliest stories, 'The Uesugi Clan' is now completely reworked, and I must say it looks damn good. It should be up by, say Tuesday. It is a massive chapter with words exceeding more than 30K, definitely the longest that I have ever written, and it will be up by Tuesday night, after which I will move on to updating Sarutobi Naruto after a long, long hiatus. So, stay tuned, and please, review._


	3. Actions & Reactions

The trip through the Garganta had been a profane one, Soifon in the front, with her arms bound behind her back, and being pushed forward like a criminal by the person who had abducted her so brazenly. There had been many promises of death during the trip. Death to Ichigo, death to anybody associated with him, death to many people. Ichigo just smiled through it all.

"So, what is it that you intend to do with me, eh? Kill me?" she asked as she glared at her captor, who was ironically, still wearing the face of Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Finally, Ichigo responded.

"I almost thought about giving you a lesson in the art of flying, by giving you a slight nudge into the abyss of Garganta, but, hurting women isn't my style. It just isn't my cup of tea, so, I guess I will have to think about how I will have to deal with you," Ichigo responded as he pushed her forward.

Soifon did not know how to answer. Her bluster wasn't able to cope with the fact that her captors did not wish to harm her. She just didn't have the courage to, Ichigo decided.

"Why did you do this?" Soifon asked after a moment as Ichigo paused for a second, "Nothing too sinister, I guess it was more of a spur of the moment thing. I had received word that Soul Society was sending its foremost assassin to hunt me. Therefore, I decided to take up the challenge, but I must say, I find the lack of quality in opposition… disappointing."

Soifon's blood boiled at the insult, and she opened her mouth to retort, only to pause mid – point as she noticed what lay ahead at the end of the Garganta.

In stunned unflattering disbelief, she looked back at her captor as he led her into a lush valley, she glared at him, as if daring him to tell her, that this… this … heavenly place, was not Hueco Mundo. As they moved further into it, the air seemed to become more wholesome, it refreshed them, and even Ichigo's tight features relaxed.

Then, a mansion came into sight, nestled in between to cliffs, with a waterfall cascading over its roof, sending up a spray of droplets all over the surrounding area, making it appear as if it was raining pearls. Soifon had to admit that she had never seen anything so beautiful. Not even the famed gardens of the Kuchiki clan came close to comparing to the splendor of this place.

"This … is Hueco Mundo?" she stuttered as she tried to look around, while Ichigo smirked.

"You will find that a lot has changed, even in Hueco Mundo, Captain, and this is but a mere trifle compared to what we hollows have achieved in the last ten years," Ichigo retorted as he pushed her forward.

As they moved forward, suddenly with a loud buzz, a young man appeared in front of them, and bowed down, "Ezekiel – sama, we have been awaiting your presence," the young man replied as he stood up and as he looked at the baggage Ichigo had acquired, his eyes widened a fraction, before they returned to normal.

"I trust everything has been well in my absence, Ulquiorra?" Ichigo asked as he moved forward, while Ulquiorra automatically took his master's place, and grabbed Soifon before she could attempt to move.

"Well, Grimmjow and Yammy did get into another altercation with Nnoitra, when he came here to escort Lady Harribel, but apart from that, nothing of any significance has occurred," the stoic Arrancar replied as Ichigo nodded.

"And is Harribel still here?" Ichigo asked after a while, at which Ulquiorra nodded gingerly.

"Try to keep the news of my arrival from reaching her ears, for as long as possible," Ichigo replied wearily as he moved forward.

"And what about this prisoner, sir?"

Soifon was too caught up, in trying to analyze Ulquiorra's presence, to take offense at what had been said. In all her life as a shinigami, Soifon had never seen an Arrancar, even though she had heard about those legendary creatures, which were treated as myths in Soul Society. It was said that only the Sotaicho had ever faced these creatures in combat over a thousand years ago, in his youth.

Ulquiorra's appearance was that of a slender, yet fairly muscular young male of average height with a melancholic appearance; he was fairly short, had messy black hair with pale white skin, a black upper lip, and green eyes with slit-shaped pupils similar to a cat's. Part of his bangs fell between his eyes, and he had distinctively thick eyebrows. He also had teal lines that descended from his eyes, making it appear as if he was crying.

However, the things that were most fascinating about his appearance were the remnants of his hollow features, which took the form of a broken helmet, which adorned the left side of his head, and his hollow hole was glaringly visible at the base of his throat. His ensemble was completed by a white jacket, black sash and a white hakama, although his jacket had very long coat tails and high collars, and finally, a zanpakuto with a green sheath, was tucked at the right side of his sash.

She was broken out of her trance, as Ulquiorra's question knifed through her hazy thoughts. Furious, she turned around only to hear her captor's words.

"Release her restraints."

"Say what …," before Soifon could even comprehend what the man had said, the Arrancar behind her had cut the bonds, which had secured her wrists.

"I release her into your care, Ulquiorra. As long as she stays here, you will be responsible for her personal safety. Ensure that no harm befalls her," Ichigo ordered, and walked away, leaving a bewildered Soifon behind to ponder over what had happened.

"Move, woman, we do not have all day," Ulquiorra's voice cut in, at which Soifon glared at him.

Realizing the opportunity in front of her, Soifon went for her zanpakuto, which was still hanging behind her back, only to fall down to the ground on her knees as she received a painful jolt, which was akin to the feeling of electrocution, and began gasping for breath.

"Your bravery is admirable, but your sense of reality is deplorable," Ulquiorra retorted as he looked at her, in the same dispassionate manner.

"This place is designed to negate the abilities of any shinigami who sets foot here. The fact that you are even alive after setting foot here is because my master has deemed your life to be worth sparing. You, are our prisoner here, do not ever forget that. Now, stop making a mockery of yourself and get up," the Arrancar quipped at which Soifon stood up, still wincing from the aftershock of the jolt she had felt when she had touched her zanpakuto.

Ulquiorra stepped forward, and beckoned her imperiously. Resigned to her fate, the proud captain of the Second squad complied and followed meekly.

* * *

**_Meanwhile, in the Soul Society, in The Chambers of the Central 46,_**

* * *

For the first time in nearly six thousand years, all the Captains of the Gotei 13 found themselves in the one situation they had never ever dreamt possible. They, the Captains of the Gotei 13 were under trial for gross incompetence and negligence of duty, by the Central 46 chambers. Standing ahead of all his colleagues, the Captain Commander looked solemnly at the hidden members of the council while the remaining captains stood behind him, proud and erect.

"Shigekuni Yamamoto Genryuusai – Sotaicho – dono," a voice came up from the podium as the commander looked up at the empty space as the voice of one of the council members came out, "We have received the detailed report about the travesty that has just occurred. We are not pleased. Nor are we pleased with this fantastic error of judgment, which you and your subordinates have exhibited, when you allowed this wretched hollow to kidnap one of our Captains, right within the heart of our stronghold. What we wish to know from you, Sotaicho – dono, is what actually happened, and how did this hollow actually manage to evade detection by all of the Captains of the Soul Society combined, even as you stood alongside him, and what security measures were undertaken by you, to prevent this infamy from taking place!"

There was no fear in that voice, but Yamamoto knew it had to be there. This "fantastic error" had shaken the Central 46 out of their complacency, and had actually made the members of the ruling council of the Soul Society realize that they were not as omnipotent as they believed themselves to be.

Yamamoto was no stranger to fear. A millenia of existence had made him intimately aware of the existence of that particular feeling. Even he too had felt a tiny jolt of fear, as the implications of what had happened a few hours ago had sunk into his mind, when after he had had some time to actually analyze what had happened. But now was not the time to give in to such idle fears.

"Honored Council member," he began, "I do admit that a travesty has indeed taken place. However, I cannot imagine …,"

"Genryuusai Sotaicho – dono," another member interrupted, his voice floating in from another area, "We presume that you also could not imagine this unbelievable act of defiance enacted by this hollow. Now, you expect us to trust your judgment on this being as well?"

At this, quite a few of the captains stirred in anger, chiefly among them Kyoraku and Ukitake, who made to move forward to protest, but they were held back by Unohana, who forbade them from making any sort of movements by shaking her head silently.

"The most disturbing thing of all," another voice came from yet another different place on the podium up above, "is how shockingly inefficient all of you captains proved to be, when it came to this matter. We have had the records of the Twelfth division inspected, and we find that it has taken them, six years, **six years,** to merely confirm the existence of this _'King of Hollows'_, and now, we find that this being has been bold enough to actually impersonate one of our captains, after disabling him effortlessly may I add, and then, he had the gall to impersonate one of your colleagues in front of you, for a duration of more than three hours, and none of you, including even you, Sotaicho – dono, were able to detect his true nature, until he revealed it himself. I admit, that this brings the competence of the Captains into question, do pardon me if this sounds harsh, but it does not make your judgment appear sound."

"I do admit that all of us were taken off guard, by this unexpected assault, but, even you too must consider the fact that we are facing a enemy of the likes we have never faced before, and we had just gained the information about this hollow's existence, and I must admit that the information we had was not as complete as we would have liked it to be," Genryuusai countered.

"We have already considered that," another voice came out of the corner, "It is true that in this case, there is enough blame for more than one individual." Kurotsuchi Mayuri, who was still in bandages, and standing at the end of the line of captains, did not move, but the message was explicit: He was being held accountable for this travesty. He had failed to gain more information on this being; he was the one who had allowed himself to be beaten by this hollow effortlessly, leading to the kidnap of Soifon, and now he was being turned into the obvious scapegoat.

"I believe you are being extremely unjust," Genryuusai retorted with a bit of anger lacing his tone, as he objected, when he was interrupted, quite rudely at that, "Unjust? This hollow has literally made laughing stocks out of the entire Soul Society, by kidnapping not only a Captain, but also the Commander of the Onmitsukido, right in front of your exalted presence, when you were accompanied by every other captain in existence, _effectively_ making you blunder about like newly castrated cattle, and you say we are unjust, just because we have pointed out your failings?" another voice retorted scathingly, at which many of the captains stiffened in impotent anger.

"Enough! Much has been said and done, but now it falls upon us to get out of this mess," another voice retorted, "Sotaicho – dono, you may stay here, as we discuss a means by which this crisis can be handled, the rest of you captains are dismissed," the voice concluded, while all the captains bowed and left without turning back, while the Captain – Commander, stood alone, contemplating how drastically everything had changed in a few hours.

* * *

"Miserable old bats, they have never faced a single hollow in their life, and yet they dare pass judgment on us all? Who do they think they are?" Ichimaru growled in frustration as he walked out of the chambers along with the other captains.

"Ichimaru…," Aizen warned his subordinate softly, to mind his words, although his own mindset was similar to that of his young apprentice's.

Suddenly, Byakuya Kuchiki punched the wall in front of him so hardly, that his knuckles began to bleed, while the other captains looked at him in alarm, "That hollow will pay for this insult with his life. No one, and I mean no one, does this to us, this will not be left unpunished," the man growled, while quite a few were surprised to see the stoic Kuchiki lose all semblance of self – control.

"At any rate," Ukitake continued in a somber tone, as everybody turned to look at him, while Unohana rushed ahead to take care of Byakuya's injuries, even as the man cavalierly denied any form of treatment, "This can never be allowed to leak out. If it leaks out that a captain of the Gotei 13 was kidnapped like a common person, it will devastate the morale of the soul society. Such a grave act of defiance against a Shinigami, especially against a captain, will make us seem incompetent and ineffective. We stand to lose all credibility if this leaks out. This can never be allowed to become public. We must take care of this on our own," the veteran captain spoke softly, while the other captains nodded gingerly in agreement.

"I too agree," the gravelly voice of Komamura came out from within his helmet, "It will have an extremely adverse impact on the morale of the Gotei 13, and the members of the Gotei will break into open revolt, bordering on anarchy if this knowledge gets out. No, we must resolve this on our own, and we have to do it quickly, before questions begin to arise about Soifon – taicho's absence," the captain of the seventh squad concluded, while others nodded.

"I suggest that we all retire to our divisions, and think about what has happened today, in solitude. It will not help us in any way if we bicker amongst ourselves like this, at this unfortunate time, not when our tempers are so frayed. I suggest that we adjourn for now, at least until Sotaicho – sama returns from the hearing to let us know what the central 46 has decided," Aizen spoke up, at which, many of the captains nodded gingerly, and began to leave one by one until only Aizen, Ichimaru and Tosen remained present.

"Kaname, monitor the events here, until we return," Aizen replied stiffly, as he moved ahead, followed by Ichimaru who looked unusually somber.

"What do you intend to do, Aizen – sama?"

"Send messengers to Stark & Barragan, obviously, to get some answers, one way or the other," Aizen replied in a scathing tone, as he moved ahead.

Stark and Barragan were about to have some very irate visitors in the near future.

* * *

_**Meanwhile, in Hueco Mundo, in Ichigo's realm,**_

* * *

It was so strange to see the three of them together, sitting around, drinking booze, and generally making a mess of everything. However, for Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, Yammy Rialgo, and Nnoitra Jiruga, it was just another routine day. Meet with each other, bash each other, and then drink with each other.

Grimmjow and Yammy, along with Ulquiorra were the commanders of the hollow army of Ichigo's realm, while Nnoitra was an Arrancar who served under Barragan. Even though his primary function was that of a general, his secondary duty was to act as a bodyguard for Barragan's second daughter, Tia Harribel. Not that she needed a bodyguard, considering that the hollows who could best her could be counted on hand, but hey, he was not complaining, as long as he got free booze, and an unrestricted license to kill. He had nothing to complain about. All was well. In fact, things had never been better in Hueco Mundo.

Well, there was one fact that he did resent. He resented Grimmjow, Yammy, and Ulquiorra for the simple fact that their boss was the coolest badass Hueco Mundo had ever seen in a thousand years.

_After all, Ichigo and his team(Grimmjow, Ulquiorra & Yammy) were considered as the cream of the crop that Hueco Mundo had to offer in military potential. _

_They were their world's elite._

_Their first line._

_Their finest._

_They have faced countless menaces together. They have triumphed over them all. Individually their skills are unsurpassed, but when needs must – they come together into the greatest fighting force Hueco Mundo has ever seen._

_They are the Espada._

_Champions alone._

_Unstoppable together._

And he, would never get the chance to be a part of this magnificent team of warriors, simply because he served another King. He would never experience the wonders that these four would experience when they battled, after all, service in Barragan Luisenbarn's court was a term for life. One simply did not resign from the court of the High King of Hueco Mundo.

* * *

Despite the fact that Hueco Mundo was divided into three kingdoms, because of his age and experience, Barragan was acknowledged as the High King, and technically, Stark and Ichigo were deemed his vassals, even though the real situation was vastly different.

However, Barragan had very shrewdly ensured Stark's loyalty to himself, by allowing his eldest daughter, Neliel tu Odelschwank, to marry him. Neliel was the elder sister of Harribel, and her power was vast, bordering just below that of the three kings themselves. But, despite the flawless success, Barragan's plan had somewhat misfired, as Neliel and Stark had found in each other a kindred soul, and their marriage had actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Her kindness had tempered Stark, and he was now all the better for it.

Barragan was now trying to ensure that his second daughter Harribel achieved the same success, and he was hell-bent on getting her married to Ichigo. However, Ichigo had stubbornly refused any such attachments, much to the old Vasto Lorde's ire.

The situation became more complicated by the fact that Harribel had developed, what could be termed as an obsession, concerning Ichigo. The fact that she, a princess of Hueco Mundo was rejected so cavalierly grated on her nerves, and she had declared to all, that if any female hollow was to ever get Ezekiel Nefarria as her mate, it would be she, Tia Harribel and no other.

Many other female Arrancars had been, _literally_, annihilated, when Harribel had learnt that they had set their sights on Ezekiel, but still, despite everything that she possessed, looks, power, and abilities, Ezekiel had always refused her, and that grated on her nerves heavily.

Many a times, she had journeyed to Ezekiel's realm, but each time, she had been blown away, but Tia Harribel was anything but persistent. What she wanted, she always got, and damn anything that gets in her way.

* * *

"So, like I was saying Nnoitra, you should have seen it, Rudobon was forced to make, like a thousand clones, just to clean up the mess that Yammy had made in the battlefield, the dude was literally crying his bonemarrow out," Grimmjow guffawed, even has he drank from a bottle of Sake, while Yammy was grinning from ear to ear.

"Heh, serves the bastards right, as if a single cero would take down someone like me," Yammy grunted as he too took up his bottle and chugged it down in one gulp.

"You guys to get to have all the fun," Nnoitra grunted, as he slouched in his chair, apparently sulking.

"Well, what can we say, our boss is way cooler than yours," Grimmjow muttered sneakily as he and Yammy high – fived each other, while Nnoitra pouted.

"Sheesh, get a room you two," Nnoitra retorted even as he looked around, "Hey, where is Ulquiorra?" he asked as he looked around for Ichigo's second – in – command, who was nowhere to be seen.

"Ah, he is around, poor guy, stuck on babysitting duty," Grimmjow snorted, while Nnoitra straightened up.

"Babysitting? What the hell, since when did Ulquiorra turn into a softie?' Nnoitra quipped back at which Yammy laughed aloud.

"It is that damn Shinigami Captain, who was captured by Ezekiel – sama," Yammy replied after a moment, at which Nnoitra shot up in his chair, so fast, that his neck cricked.

"A captain? Seriously, a honest, for real … shinigami captain?" Nnoitra asked in disbelief as he looked at the two, thinking that they were yanking his chain.

Seeing the sober looks on their faces, hit the bullet home as Nnoitra gaped at the two in stunned unflattering disbelief.

"Holy shit," Nnoitra muttered softly, as he sank into his chair, his eyes wide open in astonishment.

"When the hell did that happen?" he asked after a moment, at which the two shrugged.

"We don't know for sure," Grimmjow replied after a while, "But from what I heard from Ulquiorra, this shinigami is said to be the best assassin in the Gotei 13, and was assigned to kill Ezekiel; who after learning that, single handedly snuck into Soul Society, and kidnapped that Captain in front of all the other captains, and returned without receiving so much as a scratch in return," he concluded, while Nnoitra's eyebrows shot up into his hairline.

"_Fuck! And he did it single – handedly, without any of you backing him up?_" Nnoitra asked again, at which his two companions nodded again in agreement.

"Damn bitch was raising a hell of a racket some time ago, Ulquiorra had to straighten her up personally," Yammy grunted distastefully, at which Nnoitra paled for a second, as the implications of those words sunk into his mind.

"_Her?"_ he asked hoarsely as he looked around at the both of them.

Grimmjow and Yammy nodded gingerly, at which Nnoitra paled even further.

"You mean to say, that Ezekiel Nefarria of all people, has actually kidnapped a woman and brought her to his home, personally, and to top it all off, you say she is a shinigami?" he asked quietly, at which Grimmjow's eyes widened for a fraction, as what Nnoitra was implying sunk into his mind as well, as his eyes met Nnoitra's.

Yammy who was slow on the uptake did not understand why the two Arrancar generals were suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

"What the fuck is wrong with her being a woman?" the giant asked disdainfully, at which Grimmjow shook his head.

"Yammy, think very carefully. In all the years you have known, have you ever seen Ezekiel show any sort of interest in a woman, in any woman, mortal, shinigami or hollow – wise?" Grimmjow asked carefully.

"Nah, can't say I have at that," Yammy shrugged, at which Grimmjow sighed.

"Now, think about this, for the first time ever, Ezekiel goes off on his own, on a mission without us accompanying him, something which has never happened before, and he returns with a prisoner, who is a shinigami, and a woman to boot. Now, what does this say? About that woman and the situation in general?" Grimmjow asked carefully, at which Yammy frowned in concentration.

"It means that he is somehow interested in this … woman," Yammy replied slowly after a moment's pause, while Grimmjow nodded.

"Now, what do you think Harribel is going to do, when she learns that there is a woman in this place, one who has captured Ezekiel's interest, and who is a shinigami at that?" Nnoitra asked carefully, at which the horrified realization dawned upon Yammy's face.

"Exactly... we are fucked," Grimmjow replied solemnly after a moment's pause, while the other two nodded gingerly in agreement.

* * *

"So, you say that Ezekiel has actually captured this woman, and has brought her to his home, personally?" the woman asked carefully, while the Arrancar maid who was kneeling in front of her, spoke tremulously, "Hai, Hime – sama."

"Where is she?"

"It seems that she has been placed under the care of Ulquiorra – dono, with the orders that she be well cared for, and to ensure that no harm is to befall her," the maid replied, at which, the woman wordlessly picked up her zanpakuto and walked out of the chamber, leaving a very relieved maid behind.

Apache, the maid, sighed softly, praying for the unfortunate soul who had captured the attention of Tia Harribel, the princess of Hueco Mundo.

* * *

_**Meanwhile, in Soul Society, in The Captain – Commander's chambers, One hour after the above-mentioned events,**_

* * *

All the Captains, minus Soifon, who was obviously absent, were now present in the chambers, as the Captain Commander read out the orders issued by the Central 46 Chambers.

Byakuya Kuchiki, Gin Ichimaru, Unohana Retsu, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Kaname Tosen, Sajin Komamura, Hitsugaya Toshiro, Aizen Sosuke, Jushiro Ukitake, Shunsui Kyoraku, and Zaraki Kenpachi, stood in stony silence, as the Captain – Commander read the directives issued by the Central 46.

"Accordingly, as of now, due to being the main party responsible for allowing this travesty to occur in the first place, partly by failing to gather any proper intelligence about the enemy, and also for allowing himself to be defeated so effortlessly, thereby tarnishing the honor of the position of a Shinigami Captain, which also subsequently led to the abduction of another Captain, Kurotsuchi Mayuri is hereby stripped of his rank as the captain of the Twelfth division," Yamamoto concluded softly, while the other captains did not react, as they all waited with baited breath for the explosion of anger to come from Mayuri.

But what scared them the most was that it did not come. They watched, stupefied, and in shocked gazes, as Mayuri calmly allowed the guards from the Central 46 to strip him off his Haori, and confiscate his zanpakuto, even as Reiatsu binding handcuffs were slapped upon his wrists, as he was led off.

Thus, Mayuri Kurotsuchi left the chambers of the Captains, handcuffed in disgrace, and in a black rage.

It was the final accusation that had turned the already insane man nearly apoplectic. That wretched hollow had bested him, and he had not even seen the attack coming, and had come to his senses, only to find himself imprisoned within his own chambers, within his own division.

This would be a decision, that all of Seiretei would rue in the days to come.

Silently, Yamamoto stood by as he watched Mayuri be led off. What had just occurred was not even the tenth of what was supposed to come afterwards, on this night of misfortune, he told himself, as he prepared to hear the objections, that were sure to come, and he was not disappointed, as seconds later, his student stepped up to the plate, proving him right, once again.

"Yamamoto – sensei, this is highly unjust, we are all to blame equally in this. Do not mistake this for me for having any sympathy for Mayuri Kurotsuchi, but, is it not unjust just to make him a scapegoat, while we are all to blame equally for this lapse of judgment?" Ukitake asked quietly, at which the temperature in the room chilled as many other captains took deep breaths.

If Yamamoto heard his student, he made no visible reaction to it, as he continued reading the directives issued by the Central 46 Chambers.

"Also, the central 46 chambers have come to the conclusion that this lapse in our security occurred due to inadequate information, and also because of the fact that Mayuri Kurotsuchi was not competent enough to analyze the information that was in front of him. Furthermore, they have decided that Captain Soifon too is partly to blame, for having allowed herself to be captured in such a manner, which reflects poorly upon the position of the commander of the Onmitsukido," here Yamamoto paused as he looked around to gauge the reactions of his subordinates, which were turning quite vicious and turbulent.

"As such, they have decreed that if and when she is rescued, she will resume her duties as the captain of the second squad, but she will no longer be allowed to command the Onmitsukido, which will, from now on, be commanded by the Soshireikan of Onmitsukido. Furthermore, recognizing the need of the moment, the Central 46 have decided that the services of the following individuals are required, for us to effectively combat this threat, and as such, the central 46 has commuted the sentences of the following individuals, by revoking their banishment, and reinstating them in their former positions, since none of us present in this chamber currently, possess any of the skills that these individuals have," the old commander concluded, at which a horrified Kyoraku looked up at his teacher in alarm.

"Yama – Jii, you can't possibly mean…" the captain of the eighth squad began, when the commander raised his hand and stopped him mid – tirade as he nodded his head in agreement.

"_Because of the emergency of the situation, the Central 46 Chambers, has hereby revoked the banishment orders issued against Urahara Kisuke, Tsukabishi Tessai & Shihoin Yoruichi, and has reinstated them in their former positions, as their skills are vital, and are required to combat this new menace_," Yamamoto spoke in a heavy tone even as the chamber erupted in uproar, while shocking many of the people present, chiefly among them, Aizen Sosuke.

* * *

**Authors Note**

# Next chapter, Karin Kurosaki's initiation into the spiritual world begins, while Aizen begins to plan frantically to find a way out of the mess that Ichigo has inadvertently landed him in.

# Hueco Mundo's portrayal is vastly different in this story, as you can see by how I have displayed it.

# Harribel's obsession with Ichigo is a unique idea that I had, her acting jealously against any woman near Ichigo's presence is going to be a major plot in this story.

# Also, in the next chapter, Urahara wastes no time in making use of the gift that has been dropped in his lap, leading to a major headache for Aizen. And finally, Ichigo & Soifon start to get to know each other, and the foundation of their relationship is laid.

P.S. - While all the hollows will address Ichigo as Ezekiel, when writing things from his perspective, I will always address him as Ichigo only. So, please try not to get confused, and realize this simple fact, Ichigo Kurosaki is Ezekiel Nefarria, the third king of Hueco Mundo. Both are one and the same.


	4. Urahara Enters!

The man Central 46 chambers sought was named Kisuke Urahara and when he was finally traced, he was at his home in the living world, within his modest little cottage.

Kyoraku Shunsui took off from Seiretei just about three hours after Yamamoto concluded his meeting with the central 46, after he received his new orders. The Kido corps had worked in record time to create a Senkaimon gate for him, and they had it ready before he had even arrived.

With two hours time-difference, Kyoraku made excellent time as he arrived at the world of the living. He carefully made his way through Karakura town, until he arrived at Urahara Shoten.

As he made his way forward, unbidden, memories of an earlier time assaulted him.

* * *

_Urahara's lineage and his familial roots were unknown to everybody except for the ones whom he deemed worthy to reveal it to. From his young manhood, he had always had private means but what marked him out in those early days was his intellect._

_An intellect, which was so profound, that none who came near him, escaped its effects. To the young man who had swept through everything his tutors could throw at him, and one who mastered all skills, including forbidden and dangerous kido arts on a yearly basis, it was no longer a surprise when he was invited by the Gotei 13 to join its ranks._

_Inside the Gotei 13, he rose fast because he was unstoppable and if his detached intellectualism did not make him the Seiretei's most popular, he cared not a fig. Moreover, his true nature was hidden, behind the spurious façade of a nervous, and flustered young man. As an introvert, he kept almost an extremely close-knit group of friends, friends who had just as meteoric a career like him. Friends, which included the likes of Shihoin Yoruichi, Tessai Tsukabishi, & Hirako Shinji; and even the legendary Kyoraku Shunsui, who became a mentor of sorts to them all._

_His departure from the Seiretei fell squarely into the category of the old puzzle: did he walk or was he kicked out? He, naturally, would maintain the former. A charitable observer would call it mutual. However, dark rumors abounded, of his less than charitable reputation as a sinister intellect, which was whispered to be the cause of the demise of more than half the roster of the Gotei at the time. The Central 46, in desperation, had implemented a policy of silence, which was enforced brutally, and even whispering about those events was forbidden to everyone, unless they desired a one-way trip to the Maggots nest. Though the rumors stopped after a few dozen years, their memory lingered as a sleeping ember capable of erupting into a wildfire at any given time._

* * *

It was completely dark as he made his way inside the pathway, even as he banished all those thoughts to the farthest corners of his mind.

He paused for a second as he gazed at the cottage, and tried the door. It was on the latch. He walked straight into the wide cool ground-floor sitting-area. By the moonlight, Kyoraku could make out a man's room – cowhide rugs over quarry tiles, easy chairs, an old refectory table of Spanish oak, and a wall of books.

Kyoraku took a step forward, only to feel the needle tip of a sword just below the lobe of his right ear and froze. The man had come down the tiled stair from the bedroom without a sound.

"Long time no see, Urahara," said Kyoraku in a low-voice. The knifepoint of the blade moved away from his jugular.

"Tiring journey," Kyoraku continued, "mind if I sit?"

Urahara was wearing a cotton wraparound from the waist down, like a sarong from the orient. Bare to the waist, lean, work – hardened.

"Whatever it is, I am out of it, Shunsui," said Urahara. He seated himself at the refectory table, opposite from the captain. "I'm exiled, if you care to remember."

He pushed a tumbler and the earthenware pitcher of sake down to Kyoraku, who poured a glass, drank and nodded with appreciation. A rough draught. It would never see the tables of the rich. A peasant and a soldier's wine.

"Please, Kisuke, hear us out," Kyoraku began, and after a nod from Urahara, continued for the next twenty minutes, as he explained everything that had happened.

"I'm not coming," said Urahara, even as Kyoraku came into view, with his pink kimono now hanging free.

"Kisuke, the business 100 years ago, I know, I may not know what exactly happened, but I know you're innocent. So, please, consider this, you are being offered your life back, Kisuke; all of you, a chance like this will never come again."

"Can't you understand? I'm out. It's over. No more. You've wasted your journey. Find someone else."

"There is no one else, Kisuke. Soul Society has good people, but none of them has the level of skill and experience that you alone possess. When it comes to the affairs of Hueco Mundo & the hollow world, we don't have anyone to match your skills."

"Seiretei wants to protect its ass," snapped Urahara. "They always do. They need a fall-guy in case this goes wrong."

"Yeah, maybe," admitted Kyoraku, "One last time, Kisuke, not for soul society, but think about young Soifon, she was like a daughter to your wife, for her sake," Kyoraku tried one last time.

Urahara smashed his fist on the desk, "_Do not talk to me about a 'daughter', Shunsui_! I know better than anyone. It is the reason why Yoruichi left me, there is always someone's daughter or sister or niece or some damned soul getting into trouble of one sort or another. You can't protect them all," he snapped as he took a deep drink of his wine.

Kyoraku just gazed at Urahara, and continued in a shallow tone "Where are Tessai and Yoruichi, Kisuke?"

"Where are they?" he reiterated again, with a hint of steel entering his tone.

"Don't know," Kisuke replied lazily, as he looked at Kyoraku who looked deeply troubled, "Tessai stayed with Hirako and the others, when we came here a hundred years ago. I haven't seen him since then. Yoruichi and I stayed here for a while, alone. Then, things began to go well for us, as well as they could be. _We had a daughter_," Kisuke paused, as his voice mellowed, while Kyoraku looked in sheer amazement at the man.

"Things were surprisingly good. _She was a great girl, Shunsui, a great girl_. We hid all knowledge of our origins from her and raised her as a normal human. _She grew up, full of life, met a great kid, and they got married as well_. _Then_…," he paused, as his face drooped, while Shunsui became alert.

"**_Then_**…," Kisuke continued in a hollowed tone, as he looked at Shunsui, "_**Ten**_**_ years ago, she was killed by a hollow_**. Yoruichi blamed me for her death; naturally; because it was my decision that we never tell her about her heritage, and we never allowed her to become a soul reaper, hell, she didn't even know about the existence of Soul Society, for that matter. I think that was the last straw for Yoruichi. She didn't mind when we lost everything after our exile, but losing her daughter hit her hard. She left me, and now lives near my son-in-law's house," Urahara concluded in a soft tone, with a deep sigh, while Kyoraku lowered his eyes in regret.

* * *

"They will never come, Shunsui; Tessai, forget about him, you will never even find him. Yoruichi; she hates soul society with an even greater passion than me. Your trip was a waste even before it began, for what it is worth, I am sorry," Kisuke muttered as he got up.

"No, Kisuke, I am sorry, sorry that everything turned out like this," Kyoraku replied, as he got up. Kisuke, on the other hand, stared around at his few treasured possessions as if he might never see them again, for a moment, as if he was considering something.

"I have a price," he said at length.

"Name it," said the captain of the eighth squad simply.

"No, let me talk with the old man, personally," Kisuke said, even as he got up and went inside.

They walked outside ten minutes later, Urahara hefting a gunnysack, dressed in dark trousers, sneakers on bare feet, a shirt, _with a black cat perched upon his shoulders, and with a walking stick in his hands._

* * *

At the Soul Society, the meeting took place in the office of the Captain – commander. In presence were all the captains of the soul society, which included three very nervous captains amongst them (_Guess who?_).

The captains stared at Urahara in silence. Urahara did not even spare them a glance and walked straight up to the commander, literally snubbing all the captains who were present, and made his way to the chair at the end of the table and sat down without invitation and said, "I'm here, old man. Talk."

Pin-drop silence.

Just 'Old man', no deference, no greeting, no bow of respect, not even the most basic courtesy offered. Moreover, as expected, it riled up most of the newer generations of captains, except for Kyoraku, Ukitake, and Unohana, who alone were aware of the history between their visitor and the captain commander; along with Aizen, Gin & Tosen, as well, but for obvious reasons, those three could not and would not reveal that information, ever.

Without being phased in the slightest, Yamamoto made his way to the opposite end of the table and sat down, as he gazed at him.

"I have a proposition to put to you, Urahara," Yamamoto began brusquely, as he gazed at the younger man, "In a way, it is a request from the central 46. I would be grateful if you read this first. Here. Now," he muttered, even as his lieutenant handed over a file to Urahara, who took it, crossed his legs elegantly, and read the report. It was a completely detailed report, made up of Kurotsuchi's observations about Ezekiel, complemented by supplementary reports from the other captains about the events, which occurred on the day of the kidnapping.

"What do you think?"

"Interesting, but hardly innovative. What do you want of me?"

"The Central 46 wishes to know this. Would it be possible with all our technologies, and powers, to find out what is going on in Hueco Mundo, and how we can deal with this new breed of hollows, these accursed 'Arrancar'?"

Urahara gazed at the ceiling.

"A five-second answer would be useless. We both know that. I will need time to conduct research of my own."

"How long?"

"Two weeks, minimum. In addition, I will need a letter of empowerment requiring every authority in the state to answer my questions frankly and truthfully, no matter their status or position. Otherwise, the answer will still be valueless. I presume neither you nor the central 46 wish to waste time and effort on a project doomed to failure?"

The captain-commander stared back for several seconds, then rose and strode from the room. He returned five minutes later with a letter. Urahara glanced at it. He nodded slowly. What he held was enough to overcome any bureaucracy in the entire Soul Society.

Afterwards, with a curt bow to Kyoraku, ignoring everybody else, he walked out, and in that instant, the protests began.

"This is preposterous, Sotaicho – dono, that man doesn't even wish to be associated with shinigami, and you wish to bestow upon him the power of life and death over every shinigami in existence?" Tosen made his displeasure quite clear.

"Indeed, that man clearly holds no respect for law or authority, how someone like him, ever became a shinigami is beyond me," Komamura muttered distastefully, while others too tried to make their opinions heard.

"I too must regretfully question this judgment, Sotaicho–sama, to give an exiled traitor that level of authority is, in my opinion, most unwise." Byakuya spoke out as he fingered his zanpakuto.

"Well that is ironic, Byakuya-kun," a sarcastic voice came out, and everybody turned around in surprise to see that it was Kyoraku, and not the captain-commander who had spoken.

"I find it ironic," Kyoraku continued, as he looked at Byakuya, with a harsh look adorning his face, which surprised everyone, even as the man continued in a scathing tone, "_I find it ironic that you should mention his status as a traitor, Byakuya, considering the fact that the only man whose name surpasses Urahara's on the list of traitors, is your own father himself_," he concluded.

Even Yamamoto's gigantic eyebrows widened to their furthest limit, as he looked at Shunsui with his mouth agape, while Byakuya glowered and unsheathed his blade in anger, as Shunsui Kyoraku dared to do the unthinkable, and mentioned the name of _Kuchiki Kouga_.

"I suggest you choose your next words, very carefully, you know nothing of what you speak," Byakuya growled, as he looked at Kyoraku who raised his eyebrows at the younger captain.

"_Is that actually a threat, boy_?" he asked, even as he released a bit of his spiritual pressure, miniscule enough for him, but powerful enough to inconvenience most of the captains in the room, save for Yamamoto, Unohana & Aizen.

"I could say the same to you, Byakuya-kun," Kyoraku continued in a condescending tone, surprising everybody once more, for they had never seen the jovial captain of the eighth squad in so hostile a mood, if ever, "_You were but a snot-nosed little brat, picking your nose at the time when the events which led to Kisuke's exile occurred. Therefore, I suggest that you shut your mouth, and keep that abnormally large ego of yours in check, before you offend the wrong people, who would then be forced to do it for you_," Kyoraku retorted harshly, before pulling his hat down, and walked out of the conference room, without throwing a glance at anyone, leaving Kuchiki Byakuya behind, who was seething with a murderous look on his face, even as an extremely uncomfortable silence settled down in the room.

After a moment, abandoning all pretenses, Ukitake ran after his friend, while Gin let out a slow whistle of appreciation at what he had witnessed. Even Unohana & Yamamoto seemed to be quite flustered at the sudden turnabout of the events.

* * *

Kisuke Urahara found he needed four weeks to complete his study. Yamamoto summoned him twice but he would not be hurried. When he was ready, he met the captain commander again.

"Well," demanded Yamamoto, who prided himself on what he called his no-nonsense approach and hardball attitude but which others referred to as sheer rudeness, behind his back of course. "You have come to a view?"

* * *

Many of the captains were watching the conversation carefully, and none more so than Sosuke Aizen.

As a master tactician, he prided himself on being able to judge to a tee even the minutest expressions that appeared on a person's face. Just by observing a person for a few minutes, he could literally build a complete profile of the person, with such an uncanny speed and clarity that it could put a world-class psychologist to shame.

He was closely watching Urahara, to monitor his reactions, and what he noticed, troubled him. To Aizen's eye, he looked like a person who retained control of himself. However, the eyes bothered Sosuke. He had seen the soft moist eyes of weaklings, the dull shuttered eyes of psychopaths and the watchful eyes of soldiers. The eyes of the former captain of the twelfth squad were open and stared back with frank candor. Except for the irises, which were of flecked grey so that they seemed smokey like the hoar mist on a winter's morning. It took Aizen a few seconds to realize that they had no expression at all. Whatever thoughts did go on behind the smoke screen, nothing came through, and for the first time in a hundred years, Aizen, felt a worm of unease. Like all men created by systems and procedures, he did not like the unpredictable and therefore the uncontrollable.

Nevertheless, what worried him most was the lack of reaction from Urahara. _This was an unprecedented and absolutely unacceptable development, as far as he was concerned._

* * *

"I have," said Urahara. "Subject to certain conditions being rigorously fulfilled, we can mount an effective rescue of Captain Soifon, and nip this threat in the bud."

"How?"

"First, how not. Forget about going after the perpetrators for now. You have no idea as to their abilities, their skills, their numbers, and their locations, all of which are in another dimension anyway. Besides, attempting to attack a hollow of this caliber in its home turf would be nothing short of suicide, even for a shinigami of your caliber."

"So?" said Yamamoto, already running short of his severely limited patience. "What do you propose? That we sit here, doing nothing and keep on twiddling with our thumbs?"

"No, despite the extra-ordinary skill that this hollow known as Ezekiel has displayed, he has shown one fatal flaw, and we can exploit that, pursuant to some conditions of course," Urahara concluded, while Yamamoto just grunted and stared across at the blond man. The man stared calmly back, seeming not to care a damn if his findings were accepted or not.

"So, can I tell the central 46 that this project is a 'go' and that you are willing to take it on?"

"Not entirely. There are conditions. And they are not negotiable."

"Are you threatening the Soul Society, Urahara Kisuke?" Yamamoto growled in anger as he glared at the younger man who shrugged his shoulders casually.

"It is not a threat, old man, it is a warning. If the conditions are not met, the project will simply fail, expensively and embarrassingly, these are they."

Urahara handed a single sheet of paper to Yamamoto, who glanced at it. Five paragraphs. Numbered. He read the first.

_I will need total independence of action within the ambit of absolute secrecy. None but the tiniest group around the captain-commander need know what is happening or why, no matter how many feathers are ruffled or noses put out of joint; and even the captain-commander may know what he needs to know, subject only to my approval. Only a select few captains, whom I deem trustworthy will be allowed to know a few things about what I intend to do, while the rest of the captains will be kept out of the loop, and they must not be allowed to interfere with my work. _

Staring incredulously at Urahara, Yamamoto could do nothing but gape at the sheer effrontery being put forth by the man. He continued to read.

_I will require carte blanche authority from the Central 46 giving me powers plenipotentiary to require and receive without demur complete cooperation from any other agency or military unit whose cooperation is vital. That must begin with automatic patch-through of every scrap of information and knowledge that the Daireishokairō possesses. This is absolutely vital._

"Impossible, the central 46 will never permit it," Yamamoto growled, as he looked at Urahara, who actually stared back at him with frank candor. Yamamoto knew above all, that information was power, and no one willingly ceded even one smidgen of their power; and the entire knowledge of Soul Society rested inside the Daireishokairō.

_I will need to recruit my own staff. Not many, but the ones I need must be seconded without query or refusal._

Yamamoto had no objections to that until he came to number four.

_I operate my own way, and I alone will retain supreme authority in making decisions necessary to running this project, to ensure its success. The Soul Society will have to fund the entire project, without any objections, no matter how astronomical the costs may rise to. _

Yamamoto began to tremble with rage, as he read the list of demands.

There had been projects before, but never on this scale, _and all this, upon the say so of an exile_?

"There has to be supervision of expenditure," he said at length, after taking a deep and calming breath. "The central 46 won't wear the departure into the clear blue sky of unlimited funds because you want to go shopping."

"Then it won't work," Urahara replied calmly. "The whole point is that when action is taken, the enemies must not see it coming. Forewarned is still forearmed. The nature of the acquired equipment and personnel would betray the game plan, and that will assuredly leak to some nosey little parker, the moment accountants and book-keepers take over."

"They don't have to take over, just monitor."

"Same difference, old man. Once they get involved, cover is blown. Moreover, once your covert is blown, you are dead. Trust me, I used to run the Onmitsukido, I know."

It was an area the captain-commander knew he couldn't dispute. He passed to condition five.

* * *

**He nearly came close to unleashing Ryuujin Jakka upon Urahara the moment he read what was written in the fifth paragraph. Nearly.**

* * *

"No. This is tantamount to breaking all our laws; it could very well lead into a civil war itself. I will never agree to this. The central 46 will not either," Yamamoto stated flatly, while Urahara nodded in agreement, even as he tacitly admired the old man's self-control.

"I expected as much," he replied calmly, "if that is your response, then I will leave, and poor young Soifon will die after suffering unspeakable tortures at the hands of those hollows, who will then unleash a wave of destruction that will bring the soul society to its knees. This I guarantee," Urahara replied nonchalantly, while Yamamoto finally lost it, as his cane vanished and Ryuujin Jakka appeared in his hands, unsheathed.

"_Or, is maintaining your pride worth risking the destruction of the entire soul society and the universe_? What will it be, old man? You have to decide, along with those other forty-six old geezers as to how squeamish you are. When you are done, and there is not much more to say, come and contact me; but these are the conditions without whose fulfillment, it cannot be done. At least not by me."

Without being bidden to leave, he paused in the doorway as he looked at the captain-commander.

"Please let me know of your response in due time. I shall be at my home, not this wretched place, but the one in the living world."

Shigekuni Yamamoto Genryuusai was not accustomed to being left gazing at a closed door.

* * *

As he gazed at the closed door, Kyoraku picked up the crumpled sheet, which lay at feet of the seething captain-commander and read the fifth paragraph, which had so infuriated the old general. Even Kyoraku Shunsui felt his brow dampen with sweat, as he saw what had been written in the last paragraph.

_In order to mount a rescue of Captain Soifon, who has been kidnapped by the Arrancar's, we will have to mount an effective rescue operation. However, the fact remains that this needs to be a covert operation, which cannot be performed by shinigami, even captains. I have conducted my own research, based on the data that you have provided, and I have come to the conclusion, that the hollows of Hueco Mundo have devised a means to negate the powers and abilities of any shinigami who sets foot in that accursed world. As such, it is physically impossible for any shinigami to actively work in Hueco Mundo. Therefore, our only hope lies in sending a squad, whose members are capable of operating effectively in Hueco Mundo. Basically, this means sending a group that is affiliated to the Soul Society, but a group whose members must possess necessarily … __**the abilities of a hollow**__. _

_There exists only one such group, in this world or the next, the Vizards. The former captains and lieutenants of Soul Society, whom you unjustly accused me of conducting Hollowfication experiments upon. They are the only ones who are able to use the abilities of a soul reaper and that of a hollow simultaneously, and they are the only ones who can survive in Hueco Mundo, and bring back the kidnapped victim, and the precious intelligence that you require._

_However, because of the callous nature in which you have treated them, they have refused to aid the Soul Society anymore. However, I have called in a huge debt that they owe me, and they have agreed to co-operate, albeit with one proviso._

_It is the only demand that they have made, and even I will not accept anything less, and it is this._

_In front of the entire soul society, from which they were banished, the Central 46 and the Captain-Commander must offer an absolute and unconditional apology to them; and admit that they had made a wrong judgment, and that they had unfairly sentenced the Vizards to banishment and death, and then they must formally revoke the punishments, after apologizing; and offer proper compensation._

* * *

As he read the crumpled note, Kyoraku thought that his sensei had showed enormous restraint by not unleashing his Bankai and turning Urahara into a pile of cinders, and that was just for starters.

* * *

**Authors note:**

**Can anybody care to make a guess and tell who Urahara and Yoruichi's daughter is (or was)? It will be revealed in next chapter of course.**


	5. Unexpected Developments

Two pairs of eyes watched her, measuring her, her face, her intelligence, her determination. The captain of the second squad was still interred in the Reiatsu negation chambers, where she had been placed in, since her arrival at the place. They watched coolly, as the woman did everything possible within her powers to try to escape from the predicament that she found herself in currently.

"She is a tough one, she will not break," the figure at the right spoke quietly. He was a tall thin man with pale skin and shaggy, dark brown hair, with two bangs dropping and crossing over the bridge of his nose. He had turquoise-colored eyes circled by purple marks similar to the color of the Tsuba of his zanpakuto and the design of his clothes. His most prominent features were his long fingernails, which were longer than even his fingers. He wore a long white robe-like coat, somewhat reminiscent of an Arrancar's. The collar of his robe was covered with a thick fur, featuring a purple ascot fastened by a ruby brooch coupled with a wide sash at his waist, decorated by a purple stripe.

Ichigo did not deign to reply. He was far too busy observing Soifon, who was attempting to break through the Reiatsu negation barriers by resorting to use forbidden Kido, which backfired as expected. Despite all that, he could not help but think that she was the most beautiful young woman he had ever seen.

A petite, lithe frame supported by long legs hidden beneath a thick, black hakama ; a yellow obi tied about her waist, contrasting with the shadowy black of her kimono; porcelain white skin, from the end of her elbow-length gloves to the generous amount of bare back, gleamed under the scant moonlight; the muscles he saw were wiry and taut, perfect examples of a martial artist; her short, ebon black hair was attached by two body-length braids wrapped in white cloth; high cheekbones were accented by angular eyes and small lips; an azure and gold sheath hung sideways at the back of her waist.

Capturing her had not been an impulsive action on his part, as he had led everybody else around him to believe. This woman was probably the only one in existence, who could give him the precious knowledge he needed, about his family's hidden past, the one that his father, grandmother, and grandfather had striven so hard to keep secret, and he intended to make full use of it.

"No," he replied after a while, as he looked at his companion, "I remain convinced that she is the doorway to what I seek. It remains only to find the proper key. And once it is done, nothing will stand in my way," he concluded softly as he turned around.

"Perhaps if you allowed me to use my skills, we could…," his accomplice began, only to be cut off as Ichigo glared at him.

"_Do not mistake me for my uncle, Muramasa. Do not think I will allow you liberties he would allow. I will not make the same mistakes as him, nor will I allow you to do so. Remember, you came to me; I did not come to you. If you wish to be my zanpakuto, you must abide by the rules I set for you_."

Muramasa, the zanpakuto of the late Kuchiki Kouga, stiffened as he heard the tone of his new wielder.

"My apologies, I just wished to help… I did not mean to overstep my boundaries," he retorted softly, while Ichigo shook his head.

"You mistake me, my friend. I am not cross with you. There is a reason why I have withheld using your powers, but rest assured, soon the entire soul society will be quaking in fear at your return. All I ask is for your patience, now come; we have much work to do."

As busy as they were, the two of them did not notice one tiny thing.

Tia Harribel, the princess of Hueco Mundo, was on her way to the chambers in which Captain Soifon had been kept imprisoned.

* * *

Soifon was near her wit's end. She had tried everything remotely possible in her power to break through the wards on this place, anything that would allow her to unseal her Reiatsu, but it was to no avail. If only, her Reiatsu had been available to her, then she would show that damn hollow a thing or two! So lost was she in her thoughts, that she did not notice that somebody had entered her chambers.

She turned around, only to pause as words failed her when she noticed, whom it was, that had entered her chambers.

Standing in front of her was a female, a hollow no doubt, but definitely a female. Hell, the only one she had seen remotely coming close to matching this woman's beauty and voluptuous figure was Rangiku Matsumoto, the lieutenant of the tenth squad.

Harribel had dark skin, green eyes, blonde eyelashes, and messy short blonde hair, which had three braided locks. She wore a variation of the Arrancar jacket that covered the lower part of her face downward, while baring a good portion of the lower half of her large breasts. The jacket, unlike that of other Arrancar, had a zipper running along its entire length that is opened from the bottom upwards. The jacket's sleeves completely enveloped her arms, terminating in black glove-like extensions at her extremities, resembling the appearance of a cat's paw. Harribel carried her Zanpakuto horizontally across her back (similar to what Soifon herself did). The sword itself was notably broad and short compared to others, completely hollow in the middle, and had a western-style guard.

"So, you are the one that Ezekiel has captured," Harribel muttered, even as she stepped forward and looked at Soifon in an appraising manner. "I wonder what he saw in you, as worthless as you are, you must have something in you that made him interested in you of all people," she concluded even as she circled around the apprehensive looking captain of the second squad.

However, Soifon was not one to take insults to her person well, and as such, she gazed at the female hollow coolly.

Harribel was taken aback as she saw the female shinigami gaze back at her with smoldering defiance in her eyes.

"Easy for you to pass judgment on me as worthless, considering the fact that your ruler had to go to the trouble of sealing up my powers, and had to assign one of his top generals as my personal jailor," Soifon quipped back, while Harribel's eyes narrowed, even as the shinigami continued, "At least, it shows that as worthless as I am, he still fears what I could have done, if my powers were not sealed. However, seeing that you, whoever you are, are roaming free, without any such restraints must mean that you are not even worth his notice, as he has clearly not taken even the precaution to seal your abilities, if you have any in the first place, that is," Soifon snorted disdainfully, and turned her back on Harribel, clearly dismissing her from her presence.

Harribel saw red. In an instant, her hand went to her back, as her zanpakuto slid effortlessly out of its sheath. Just as she was about to make her way towards Soifon, who had by then withdrawn her own blade, and was holding it in a defensive stance, a voice came out, "That's enough, Harribel."

Both women turned around, only to see Ichigo standing there looking livid.

Soifon, who had not yet seen Ichigo's true appearance, was stunned into silence.

Ichigo looked like a normal teenage boy; the one exception to that was his spiky orange hair, which was considerably long. He was a fairly tall, lean-built person, was noticeably muscular, and had peach colored skin and brown eyes.

For her part, the woman felt nothing short of absolute shock as she became lost in the fiery brown orbs of the boy. They were blazing with an unrealized potential and underlying passion, which she had never seen in any other male she had ever encountered before.

Harribel on the other hand, was livid. She was so angry that she could have screamed, cried, and cursed as she noticed Ezekiel look at that … that... Shinigami whore! As she noticed what was going on, Harribel honestly didn't know what to do. All she could do for now, was to try to control her rage, and hide the shaking of her hands.

Harribel wasn't stupid - she'd never deny a competitor's good points just to ease her own jealousy. Moreover, she knew that the other girl's unusual coloring and almost magical charm was as alluring as her own dark, doll-like beauty. However, there was a major difference between the two. Ezekiel had never looked at Harribel the way he was looking at that shinigami girl. It was as if he had found a missing piece, something precious that he had lost. That look was unnatural in his eyes, it didn't fit him. That look of need.

"Harribel … leave …," Ichigo commanded curtly as he looked at the woman who had become quite a pain in his neck, in the last few months.

"Ezekiel, who is she … and what is she doing here?" Harribel asked curtly, even as she shot Soifon a filthy look, which was returned by the said woman in spades.

"That does not concern you, it is my own affair, and just because I give you leeway to come and visit my place as you wish, does not give you the right to interfere in my affairs. Furthermore, it is no concern of yours on how I decide to deal with my prisoners," Ichigo retorted sharply as he gazed at the woman, who stiffened.

"My father will hear of this …," she threatened, as she looked at Ichigo, playing the last card left in her hand, while Ezekiel remained as unflappable as ever.

"Be my guest," was all he said, even as Harribel glared at him in a huff, and left after throwing a contemptuous glare at Soifon, who was looking bewildered at the current turn of events.

"What … is going on here? Who exactly are yo…," Soifon began, only to fall unconscious, as Ichigo suddenly appeared behind her, and knocked her out before she could realize what was happening.

"Troublesome, but this at least gives me a valid excuse to get you out of here, and begin the next stage of my plan," Ichigo muttered, even as he motioned Ulquiorra to come in.

"Take her to Szayel's laboratory, and tell him to wait until I arrive," he ordered, while Ulquiorra quietly picked up the unconscious captain of the second squad and made his way out.

* * *

_**Meanwhile, around the same time in Karakura Town, at Kurosaki Residence,**_

* * *

Kurosaki Yuzu was busy in cooking the dinner for her family, as she usually did, even as her father lounged about in the living room, when suddenly she heard the sound of the doorbell go off. Quickly, she made her way to the door and ofpened it, only to be taken aback as she noticed who it was, that was standing in front of her.

It was a woman, but unlike any, that she had ever seen.

The woman had a very youthful appearance, and was wearing a large white overcoat, over a black kimono, and Yuzu would have almost suspected her for being a doctor of some sort (which she was), if not for the fact that the woman was holding a ridiculously large and sheathed samurai sword in her hand. She had extremely lengthy black hair, which was worn as a large braid in front of her.

For a second, she wondered if this was someone who had come to take revenge against her father, because of his ridiculous antics.

As distracted as she was, she could not help but notice that the woman was quite beautiful.

"Excuse me," the woman spoke in a kind, gentle voice, even as she looked at Yuzu, with an inscrutable look on her face.

"Is this the residence of _Kuchiki Isshin_?"

"I …," Yuzu paused, as she looked at the woman, with confusion rife in her tone, "I am sorry, but there is no one with that name here, this is the residence of Kurosaki Isshin," she replied in a polite tone, while the woman paused, with a shocked look on her face.

_He wouldn't dare take that name, would he? But then again, he was never one for subtlety or … _

"Yuzu-chan, my darling daughter, who is it?" the boisterous voice of her father came out, even as he came behind her, only to stop mid-tirade as he saw who it was, standing in front of the door.

"Unohana–san, this … is a surprise," he muttered gruffly, as he looked at Unohana Retsu, who was staring at him, with the same unflappable manner.

"_Just … Unohana-san, is it? Is that how you address your mother? You never change, do you … Isshin_?" the woman asked quietly even as she looked at the decidedly uncomfortable looking head of the Kurosaki family, while Yuzu gave a horrified squeak at that revelation.

* * *

_**Meanwhile, in the Seiretei, around the same time,**_

* * *

In the solitude of his personal chambers, Sosuke Aizen sat behind his desk, ashen pale in the dim light. As he recalled the events that had taken place the previous week, he began to shrink by the minute, as he considered the ramifications of the events. His former icy control seeped away; the unhesitating decisiveness appeared to bleed out of him. He realized it, and hated it, for allowing this weakness to cripple him.

Things were falling apart; the days of words were over. His own hour had come. Inside his own world, Aizen sat maundering over the catastrophe that had overtaken him in such a short time. He literally could not understand the transformation, though he could just perceive how, systematically, it had come about.

At the onset, after gaining the knowledge about the location of Urahara Kisuke's Hogyoku, coupled with the knowledge that he would soon be subjugating the third king of Hueco Mundo, Ezekiel Nefarria, it had seemed that nothing in existence could prevent him from ascending to the transcendent stage beyond that of a soul reaper and a hollow. His main opponents had been in disarray, as they had been exiled from the soul society by his ministrations more than a century ago, which had denied them the ability to counter his moves, simply because of the fact that they could no longer gain any intelligence about him.

Then, like a bolt out of blue, that hollow had derailed him, so completely that he had shattered his plans in a single swoop. How did he manage to kidnap a captain of the Gotei 13 so casually? In addition, even more importantly, how could he have underestimated this hollow so cavalierly? Had he been so focused on conquering that hollow that he had turned blind to everything else…?

That was it! That damn Urahara! He had deliberately baited him! He had made him keep his attention focused solely upon that annoying hollow, while others, that annoying pervert of a student of Yamamoto's no doubt, had used that time to persuade the Sotaicho to recall the thrice damned Urahara back into the Seiretei once more!

But that again, gave rise to another far more serious avenue of thought. Was it; was it really possible that Urahara was aware of what he was up to in Hueco Mundo? No, that was not possible … but still, he had managed to suborn and gain the allegiance of two of the three kings of Hueco Mundo, it was not completely inconceivable to think that Urahara could have done the same; surely, it couldn't be …

Suddenly, he jerked upright as a wave of realization hit him. The ferocity with which the hollow Ezekiel had refused to deal with him… how he had never been able to approach that hollow despite all his efforts, how that hollow had shrugged off the subtle threats that he had managed to deliver by using the other two rulers of Hueco Mundo… surely, as powerful as he was, even a hollow of his caliber would not be so brazen enough to so brutally reject the offers made by Barragan Luisenbarn and Coyote Stark, not unless he was stronger than both of them combined, which Aizen seriously doubted, or unless he had the backing of someone powerful, someone who that hollow believed to be strong enough to come to his aid, which enabled him to stand up against the two elder kings of the hollow world.

Slowly, he began to analyze the events that had taken place over the week. The brutal, but unexpected maneuver in which that hollow had managed to kidnap a captain from within the Seiretei, from under the nose of every captain in existence, including him and the Sotaicho no less… that had been a sore blow to Aizen's ego. Loath though he was to admit it, he knew that even he had failed to detect that hollow's presence, and that had severely rankled him.

He had truly believed that he had nearly reached the pinnacle of his abilities, but that brutally casual way in which that hollow had shattered the defenses of the soul society, including that of its captains, had for the first time in nearly a century, caused Aizen to doubt his own abilities of all things.

Nor did he fail to ignore the fact that Kisuke Urahara had been hastily summoned back to the soul society in the immediate aftermath, to help the soul society deal with the fallout.

Then again, it could have been a coincidence, but Aizen scoffed at that. The chances of that happening were a million to one in his estimation.

No, somehow, it began to make sense; somehow, Urahara too, had managed to gain the allegiance of one of the three kings of Hueco Mundo, and was now using that creature to his biddings, and to turn the tide against him. He was now certain of it.

Aizen knew that he couldn't do a thing, take any initiative until he gained the knowledge of what Urahara was up to. In that sense, the man had outdone himself. He had elected to keep Aizen guessing. By forcing that damned hollow to act in his stead, Urahara had ensured that his hands remained clean completely, and no one in soul society was the wiser for it. Even his motivations were unknown, even to the core group of allies he had created around himself. Urahara was denying him that information, undermining the self – confidence of the man he had challenged to defy him.

He is giving me ample time to learn of the disaster, but not the terms; letting me evaluate the scale of catastrophe that will befall me, should the soul society accept his terms, which they have no choice but to accept; in which case, my capacity to influence the authorities of soul society will be severely curtailed.

He realized with impotent rage, that Kisuke Urahara had completely boxed him in, with no way out, without even having to lift a finger to do so.

_He was wrong, he was very wrong. _

* * *

_**Meanwhile, at the Kurosaki Residence, in the real world,**_

* * *

In the Soul Society, the highest administrative decree that can be issued is an order from the Central 46 chambers. They are habitually made public, for they can hardly be obeyed if they are not, but directives issued from the Captain Commander can be completely secret, known simply as orders. And using that loophole, Unohana Retsu had hurried to the real world to deliver her son a directive from the captain-commander. It was simply a ruse, for the woman had something far more important to accomplish than that.

After learning from her old friend & colleague, Kyoraku Shunsui, that her son was still alive in the living world, that knowledge had given new hope to the woman, who had until now believed that her son had perished. However, that new feeling of hope had turned downright into fear, when she had learned that her son had married the daughter of Urahara Kisuke & Shihoin Yoruichi.

Above all else, if Unohana Retsu was anything, it was pragmatic. She knew that the only reason that the Central 46 was currently tolerating the humiliating conditions imposed by Urahara, was because they needed him & his expertise. Nevertheless, once the need for that was past, she knew without a doubt that there was going to be a forceful reckoning between the exiles led by Urahara, and between the forces of the Gotei 13.

Above all else, she refused to let her son suffer for the mistakes of another man. Regardless of the fact that whether Urahara was innocent or not, by default, anybody associated with him would be deemed as enemies by the Soul Society.

Moreover, a millennia of existence in Soul Society had shown to her exactly how its leaders dealt with those whom they deemed as their enemies. In addition, being Kisuke Urahara's son-in-law was not going to help her son when the time for reckoning was nigh.

No, she would have to take steps to insure his safety, before that happened, even if Isshin would hate her for it, even more than he already did. She owed him that much, considering how badly she had failed before.

As she walked in, she subtly noticed the various pictures around the house, which provided her with a wealth of information about her son's family. Pictures of all sorts, adorned the house, of a man, with two beautiful little girls, her granddaughters no doubt, a wall sized portrait of a young woman, most possibly her deceased daughter-in-law, and just a few pictures of a young teenager. So, she had a grandson as well, it certainly seemed that her son had built a happy little family for himself, despite the losses that he had suffered.

As her eyes casually glanced over the picture of her grandson, her heart nearly jumped to her mouth, as she observed his face. His hair was a fierce orange, but those eyes, the same jawbone, that straight angular face, the boy was clearly a carbon copy of his dead uncle, sans the hair. It was almost as if he was the reincarnation of his … _no, it could not, it definitely couldn't be_ …

"Observed it, have you?" a guttural voice came behind her, and she turned around, only to see her son sitting at a table and observing her. A casual flaring of her Reiatsu later, she realized what had happened, "You placed your daughter under Hakufuku, and sent her into a forced sleep," she observed, even as she went ahead and sat down opposite her son.

"She doesn't know a thing about Soul Society, she doesn't even realize what she is, and I see no need to change that," Isshin replied, while Unohana became quiet.

"You will not be able to keep it that way for long, Isshin, Soul Society is now aware of your family, you must be careful from now on," she warned, while her son scoffed disdainfully.

"If you are talking about the ego match between Urahara & old man Yamamoto, then you need not worry, it is no concern of mine, I have never involved myself into Urahara's affairs," he snorted, while Retsu let out an involuntary sigh of relief.

"Do you really think that Soul Society will care for that, when they come after Urahara and his associates? They are tolerating him now, because they need him, but once it is done … anyone and everyone who is with him will be targeted, Isshin. You need to return to Soul Society before that; it is your only chance," she argued, while Isshin's face acquired a stony look.

"I am not returning to Soul Society," he replied stonily, even as Unohana sighed at the stubbornness of her son.

"Isshin, Urahara has burnt himself up completely. He is no longer sane … all he cares about is getting revenge over soul society for what happened a century ago! He will go down, if he keeps on antagonizing the soul society like this, him, and everyone associated with him, will be hunted down! Think about your children!" she spoke quietly, in a measured tone, while the temperature in the room got noticeably colder.

"**I will not return to the place which betrayed my brother and hunted him down like a dog**!" he snarled as he banged his fist on the table, even as Unohana flinched.

"Isshin, please…," she whispered, even as she looked at her son, "Kouga was out of control, it had to be done," she tried to reason with him, even as Isshin snarled in anger.

"He was not out of control; you people forced him to be! Ginrei-jiisama and I could have helped him, but you people were too afraid of him, afraid of his powers, afraid of his ideas, and you framed him, and had him murdered!" Isshin snarled, even as he looked at his mother, who looked ashen.

"You know it is not true, Kouga was my son as well, I loved him!" she protested, "but he was out of control, he let his zanpakuto control him too much, he was destabilizing the entire soul society, he had to be stopped!" she spoke forcibly, while Isshin glared at her.

"He was not beyond helping yet," Isshin retorted softly, "he could have been saved, but no, you and all the captains had to decide to sacrifice him, for the greater good," he scoffed, while Unohana glared at her younger son.

"And so, you decided to take the name of Kurosaki once again, in defiance of Soul Society again, what is it with you, Isshin? Why are you so antagonistic towards your own home, your own people? What is it about them that you hate so much?" she asked softly, while Isshin softened his tone, as he noticed the look of anguish on his mother's face.

"Honestly, mother," Isshin replied softly, as he poured himself a cup of tea and looked at her face as he continued, "I see no reason for me to be a Shinigami anymore, as I have lost all hope for our race, and as such, I wish to distance myself from all of this as much as possible," he concluded, while Unohana stifled a gasp of horror.

"How can you say that, Isshin? That is close to … heresy," she stuttered while her son continued, "It no longer surprises me," he spoke softly, as he looked at his mother, "The smell of blood is as common as the smell of white plums, our kind lives in the hell of being killed by our own selves, and we have been reduced to becoming nothing but slaves to an establishment," he concluded darkly, while Unohana shook her head in sorrow.

"It is well that you speak these words in front of me, my son, but speak such words in the soul society, and you will condemn not only yourself, but your family as well. Take care never to speak such words again, even in the sanctity of your own mind," she warned him, while Isshin sighed.

"Enough of this," Isshin sighed, "What brings you here, mother?" he asked, while Unohana looked at him with something akin to pity in her eyes.

"You may be under the impression that I may not care for anything, my son, but I have done what I must, to protect you, and your children, from the inevitable fallout that will occur once Soul Society decides to deal with Urahara and his band of exiles," she concluded grimly, while Isshin narrowed his eyes.

"What have you done?" he asked gutturally, as he looked at his mother, who drew two official looking envelopes from within the folds of her kimono.

As he looked at them, Isshin could not help but roar in anger, "Are you insane?"

"If you are to blame someone, blame both me and Yoruichi equally," Unohana replied stiffly, as she looked at her son, who gnashed his teeth in anger.

In front of him, were two envelopes, each of them bearing the symbol of two of the four noble clans of the Soul Society, the Shihoin, & the Kuchiki.

"The Shihoin & The Kuchiki Clans are now aware that there are three children in existence, who by birthright are the heirs of the Kuchiki & Shihoin Clans. As we speak, the elders of both clans are meeting with each other, to decide which child shall belong to which clan; it was inevitable, Isshin. The moment Urahara returned to Seiretei, the central 46 began a thorough investigation of anyone who was associated with him, and your name was the first on the list," Unohana replied sadly, while Isshin exploded in anger.

"Have you any idea of what you have done?" he roared in anger, while Unohana remained as unflappable as ever.

"I have saved your life, and the lives of your children. The only way your children can survive the aftermath of this incident, when Urahara's faction will inevitably collide with the Gotei 13, is if they have the backing and the patronage of two of the most powerful clans in Seiretei. If your children, were to become the heirs of the Kuchiki and the Shihoin Clans, the central 46 will be assured of their loyalty, and they will no longer be marked as enemies. Yoruichi & I, are in complete agreement with this. You are free to remain allied with Urahara if you wish, but we will not allow our grandchildren into becoming pawns in a war, for something that they are not even aware of," Unohana replied stiffly, while Isshin could only watch with his jaws wide open at the sheer effrontery of the woman.

"And you think that jackass nephew of mine, will allow them to become a part of the Kuchiki? Byakuya hates his father, mother, he will never allow anyone related to Kouga to become part of the Kuchiki, I know that for a fact," Isshin replied stubbornly, while Unohana just smiled.

"That will not happen, Isshin," she replied quietly, even as he looked at her in surprise, "I have already spoken with Ginrei-dono, and he is most eager to meet his great-grandchildren. Kouga was his son-in-law, and you know that you too are his grandson, just like Byakuya, despite the fact that he adopted you … and he loves you, Isshin, you know that. Byakuya cannot do a thing, he may the head, but Ginrei-dono still outranks him, and even the Shihoin are involved in this. His hands are effectively tied," she concluded, while Isshin just gazed at her, with the same reluctant look of admiration in his eyes at her thoroughness.

"How will I explain this to my children?" he spoke softly, at which Unohana smiled. She had nor reason to worry now, she had won.

"Do not worry, Yoruichi and myself will take care of it, just bring them all here, and we can start," Unohana began, when Isshin suddenly paled.

"My son, he doesn't have any Reiatsu at all! How will he survive out there … he can't…," Isshin began to hyperventilate, when Unohana grabbed hold of him, and steadied him, "Isshin, who do you think I am?"

As he looked at his mother, Isshin Kurosaki could not help but berate himself for his foolishness. His mother was the greatest healer in the history of the Soul Society, how could he have forgotten? If anybody could help Ichigo regain his spiritual powers, it was her, but … could he really go back to Soul Society, and introduce his children to that nightmarish world… all his life, he had striven to protect his children from that place … and yet, it seemed that they would never be free of that place… he sighed in despair, maybe it was for the best.

"Very well, maybe it is for the best, I will call my son here, and we can then discuss a means by which we can break the news to them, but know this, mother, I am doing this only for the sake of my children and under extreme protest," he finished, and left abruptly, even as a beautiful smile spread across Unohana Retsu's face.

It was almost a myth in Seiretei, and once again it had been proven right. You could never win in an argument with Unohana Retsu.

* * *

As he watched the events that transpired inside his house from his hidden vantage point, Ichigo could not help but smile in victory. His gamble had paid off.

"Looks like your plan worked, Ichigo," Muramasa spoke softly, as he materialized behind the boy.

"The love that a grandparent has for their grandchild is immeasurable, Muramasa, you know that. All I needed to do, was provide her the right motivation," Ichigo concluded softly, while Muramasa looked at the boy in reluctant admiration.

The plan was so simple, yet brilliant.

Ichigo had known all along that his grandparents, Kisuke Urahara, & Shihoin Yoruichi had been exiled from the Seiretei, and that his own father, Kurosaki Isshin, was also a shinigami who lived in self-exile. Knowing that they would never divulge the truth, Ichigo had gone to the only place that would give him the answers. The Soul Society.

Single-handedly, he had snuck into the Soul Society, and had infiltrated the archives of the Kuchiki Clan, who were the historians of Soul Society. It was also there, that the zanpakuto Muramasa fell into his hands. After the death of Kouga Kuchiki, his zanpakuto had been confiscated by the Kuchiki clan, and had been stored away in the deepest and darkest corner of their archives. As soon as Muramasa had sensed Ichigo, he had appeared before him, and after recognizing that the boy-hollow was in fact, his former wielder's nephew, he had instantly sworn allegiance to him.

Muramasa had been a virtual treasure trove of intelligence to Ichigo, who had learned a great deal about the structure & the history of Soul Society from him, and therefore he had begun to plan on a method, by which the soul society itself would have no choice but to beg his family to come to their aid.

In a way, Aizen Sosuke had helped Ichigo to achieve the one thing that Aizen himself, ironically, feared the most. The return of Ichigo's family to the soul society.

He knew that by so brazenly kidnapping a captain, he had shattered the morale of the soul society to smithereens. He also knew, that the only person in existence, who could possibly help soul society at that juncture was his grandfather, Urahara Kisuke.

As expected, the Soul Society had come running to his grandfather for aid, and his grandfather no doubt, would take things forward from there.

He also knew that Soul Society would look for any sort of leverage over his grandfather, and in doing so, he knew that they would stumble across his family. But he also knew, that there were people in the Seiretei, who if they were to become aware of his family's existence, would go to any lengths to protect them from the rulers of the Seiretei.

And as expected, his gamble had paid off. Both of his grandmothers, Yoruichi & Unohana, had instantly approached their clans for assistance, and now, his family was virtually guaranteed the patronage of two of the noble clans of soul society, and their safety was assured.

But above all else, he, the third king of hollows, would now receive a personal invitation from the soul society itself to come and reside within the walls of the Seiretei along with his family.

He idly wondered what the shinigami would do, if they ever realized that they had invited the king of hollows himself to reside within their walls.

Whatever their reaction, it was sure to be quite amusing.

* * *

**Authors notes:**

# As I said, this is gonna be vastly different from Canon.

# As you can see, I made Kouga & Isshin into brothers, and instead of Ichigo resembling Kaien Shiba in canon, here he will be resembling Kouga a lot. And yes, I know, that in canon, Byakuya's father was Sojun Kuchiki, the son of Ginrei Kuchiki, but in my story, he is going to be the son of Kouga, Sojun will not even be in this story.

# I also made it so, that Unohana would become the mother of Isshin & Kouga, and become the grandmother of Ichigo in a way. I feel that she is one of the captains whom Kubo has under-utilized the most, and the potential for her character is immense.

# As for the dynamics between Soifon & Ichigo, I made it so that rather than a 'love at first sight' scenario between them, I have tried to emphasize an "attraction at first sight" dynamic. I only hope that I was able to maintain Soifon's disciplined & aloof personality.

# In the next chapter, there is going to be a literal bloodbath between the Kuchiki and Shihoin clans to claim the Kurosaki children, especially when Karin manifests a zanpakuto of the likes never seen before. And yes, Soifon will be returned to Soul Society, and Ichigo will come there as well, and things are going to blow up spectacularly.

# And yes, Byakuya is going to get pawned by his uncle, Isshin, big time.


	6. Oh Shit!

Ginrei Kuchiki was kneeling in the inner garden of his personal quarters. Motionless, he watched the moonlight in the blossom tree, the branches jet against the lighter sky, the clustered blooms now barely tinted. A petal spiraled, and he thought,

_Beauty_

_Is not less_

_For falling_

_In the Breeze._

Another petal settled. The wind sighed and took another. The tree was scarcely as tall as a man, kneaded between moss rocks that seemed to have grown from the earth, so cleverly had they been placed.

It took all of Ginrei's will to concentrate on the tree and blossoms and sky and night, to feel the gentle touch of the wind, to smell its sea-sweetness, to think of poems, and yet to keep his ears reaching for the agony. His spine felt limp, even as he envisioned all the burdens of his extremely long life weighing upon his shoulders. Only his incredible will made him as graven as the rocks. This awareness gave him a level of sensuality beyond articulation. And tonight it was stronger and more violent than it had ever been.

All the servants were watching the old leader of the clan with a sense of disguised awe and fear, for today, after a hundred years worth of silence, the old clan head had finally clashed with his grandson, Byakuya; and the younger man had, for the first time in his life, dared to do the unthinkable and walked out of his house, in a grave sign of disrespect to his grandfather and clan elder.

As he recalled the argument he had had with his grandson, Ginrei could not help but shake his head in sorrow. In retrospect, the argument with Byakuya had been a long time in the brewing, and today finally, it had simmered beyond control.

_And all because I failed his father, had I been more lenient towards Kouga, this day would never have come,_ the old shinigami sighed, even as his eyes closed as his mind brought the picture of his deceased son-in-law to the forefront of his mind.

* * *

Kuchiki Kouga, born as Kurosaki Kouga, son of Unohana Retsu, and Kurosaki Baishin, once captain of the tenth squad; he and his younger brother, Isshin, had been deemed as prodigies seen once a generation. So much so, that it was rumored and even believed by many, that they were the next generation's versions of Shunsui Kyoraku & Ukitake Jushiro, and it was believed by many that the day was not far off when they would become captains, just like their father and mother.

However, their father, Kurosaki Baishin, who was at that time, the premier scientist of the Soul Society, was undertaking some dangerous experiments, and in a stroke of misfortune, an accident occurred that destroyed him and his family, so completely, that the very nature of Soul Society was shaken to its foundations.

His mind painfully recalled the events that had occurred nearly eight hundred years ago.

Baishin, had always been fascinated with Zanpakuto, and had proposed a theory that the powers of a zanpakuto were not limited to mere Shikai, and Bankai, but much more. So much so, that he attempted to fuse his own soul physically to his soul blade to prove his theory. An attempt that misfired horribly, when Baishin's zanpakuto became too powerful for even him to control. Under its influence, Baishin had gone on a murderous rampage, and had very nearly destroyed the balance of the Gotei 13 in the process. Finally, Baishin had been stopped, but at a murderous cost, where in no less than four of the thirteen captains of the Gotei 13 had perished in the assault.

Though a good man, his actions had the unintended but not unexpected results of casting his family into infamy. The sons, who both had been seen as shining examples of what the future generations of shinigami were meant to be, were now maligned as the sons of a traitor. Hated, scorned, and isolated by their peers, the boys would very well have lost themselves if it were not for the presence of their mother. Isshin of course, was still too young to comprehend the enormity of the matter, but Kouga on the other hand, bore the full brunt of the hatred of his peers single-handedly.

It engendered in him a fierce need to prove himself, to display his capabilities, to show everyone that he was not just the son of an insane murderer.

From his young manhood, he had always had private means but what marked him out in those early days were his abilities.

Abilities, which were so profound, that none who came near him, escaped its effects. To the young man who had swept through everything his tutors could throw at him, and one who mastered all skills, including forbidden and dangerous kido arts on a yearly basis, it was no longer a surprise when he was invited by the Gotei 13 to join its ranks, just like his parents.

Inside the Gotei 13, he rose fast because he was unstoppable and if his detached loneliness did not make him the Seiretei's most popular, he cared not a fig. Moreover, his true nature was hidden, behind the spurious façade of a nervous, and flustered young man. As an introvert, he kept almost an extremely close-knit group of associates, limited only to the likes of his mother and his younger brother.

However, his abilities, finally, and stubbornly … brought him into the limelight, and finally the higher echelons of the Soul Society could no longer afford to ignore him, and eventually, the young man finally joined the sixth division, the fief of the Kuchiki Clan. Despite his reluctance, Ginrei could not help but notice the abilities of the young man, which he realized would surpass his own, very soon.

Finally, over the course of time, Ginrei became the father figure the young man had desperately needed, but had been denied, and soon Kurosaki Kouga, became Kuchiki Kouga, the son-in-law of Ginrei Kuchiki. However, Ginrei had seen in him, the lust for approval, the desire to come out of his father's name, a lust which would easily overshadow his reasoning, and therefore, even though he acknowledged Kouga's abilities in private, he never acknowledged it in public, the one thing that Kouga desired above all from his new father figure.

At the same time, the Soul Society, which was still trying to get out of the aftershocks of Baishin's rampage, faced a new threat, when certain rogue elements decided that the time was ripe to stage a rebellion and impose a new order in the spiritual world, and began a civil war.

A war which they would most likely have won, if not militarily, then politically, by forcing the central 46 to enter into negotiations with them, by displaying that they had the upper hand in the war due to the sheer size of their numbers.

But they had not counted on one thing. Kouga, and his zanpakuto, Muramasa.

When Kouga displayed the abilities of his zanpakuto in the middle of the first battle between the two sides, it sent a thunderflash down the very Soul Society itself. A zanpakuto, which gave its wielder the ability to control every other zanpakuto in existence, and that was just one its abilities in mere Shikai. What then, could it be capable of in Bankai? Could it perhaps control even Ryuujin Jakka, the most powerful of all? What would happen if he were to turn on them all?

Unaware of the furor he had caused, Kouga had continued his fierce onslaught on the rebels, intent on crushing the rebellion single-handedly, and in the process, wishing to redeem his family name. Unable to bear the onslaught, the rebels began to retreat, and finally it was evident that the war would end on favorable terms, towards the Seiretei, and finally Kouga gained the recognition he deserved, when the Sotaicho himself appointed him as the interim captain of the new proposed fourteenth division, with him as its founder.

Only Ginrei knew the truth, that even Yamamoto was worried about the possibility of such a powerful zanpakuto wielding undue influence on its wielder, and he feared the consequences of what should happen, should the young man succumb to the same fate as his unfortunate father. The new division and this new authority, were all just a ruse to keep the young man under observation, something which only Ginrei realized, unlike everybody else.

But the rebels, desperate to avoid a complete rout, took an incredible gamble. Some of the rebels infiltrated Kouga's division as its new members, and after some time, during a vicious battle with the enemies, they suddenly turned upon Kouga, their leader. Angered, Kouga utilized Muramasa to devastating effect to take them all down, but in reality, it was a scripted play, as the rebels had ensured that this battle was observed by multiple members of the soul society's ruling elite.

The observers of course, knew nothing of the truth behind the events, but blindly assumed that Kouga had been consumed by the spirit of his sword, and believed completely that he had turned upon his own men, and in their extreme paranoia, declared him a traitor just like his father, and had him arrested, thereby destroying the fragile psyche of the young man forever.

Ironically, this short victory earned by the rebels proved to be their own undoing, as this act, finally pushed Kouga beyond the brink, and forced him to become the traitor that everybody had assumed him to be. Single-handedly, he broke out of prison, and killed the ringleaders of the rebellion, and in the process, the once five great noble clans were now reduced to four, wherein the fifth clan, the Ryudoji, the fifth clan and the leaders of the rebellion, were subjected to what could only be termed as genocide under the young man's hands.

No matter who was sent to stop him, it proved futile, as there was not a shinigami present, who had the capability to go toe-to-toe with Kouga & Muramasa. Even Ukitake & Kyoraku, could not. Finally, it fell upon Unohana, Ginrei, and Yamamoto Genryuusai themselves, to bring Kouga down, who had succumbed completely to his insanity.

After a prolonged battle, they had won, but at a heavy cost. The first and the sixth division were decimated almost beyond repair, and Ginrei himself suffered enormous injuries, so great that he was forced to go into early retirement.

Ginrei's daughter could not bear the sorrow of losing her husband to her own father, and she wilted down. Despite the best efforts of all the healers in the Kuchiki clan, and even of her mother-in-law, the captain of the fourth squad, she wilted away, and slipped into a coma from which she never recovered, and passed on. The weight of the knowledge that she was unable to help her husband, the fact that her own father was forced to kill his own son-in-law, and the shame of being known as a traitor's wife was too much to bear for the delicate woman, and she passed away, shattering the family forever.

Their son, Byakuya, now orphaned, grew up to resent his father bitterly, believing him to be the cause of his mother's death, & it was a cruel irony, because just as Byakuya loathed his father, so had his father loathed his own. Things would have gone very ill for the Kuchiki clan, if not for Kurosaki Isshin's presence. Single-handedly, Isshin Kurosaki, now Kuchiki Isshin, Ginrei's adopted grandson, who had now come to manhood, stepped up to fill in the vacant spot of his brother.

On his own, as the captain of the sixth squad, he brought the wreck of a division back to its former glory, and single-handedly, he revived the now damaged reputation of the Kuchiki Clan, by becoming the youngest Captain in Seiretei to receive an invitation to join the Royal Guard.

After many such accomplishments, Isshin surprised everyone by immediately announcing that he would retire the moment his nephew came into his own, and refused the invitation to join the Royal Guard. Only Ginrei knew the truth, after all, Isshin was not without his own demons as well.

His elder brother's death had hit him hard, too hard. The cruel manner in which their government had dealt with his family had engendered in him, a deep-rooted resentment towards the Soul Society. He made it clear to his mother and his grandfather of that fact as well. And then one day, the news came that Isshin had disappeared in the mortal world, after going there to repel a hollow assault.

Everybody including Unohana had assumed that he had been killed in action, however, Ginrei alone knew the truth. Before departing to the mortal world, Isshin had confided in him, and informed him of his intent to seal up his powers and live as a mortal in the mortal world. He had begged Ginrei to not tell Unohana the truth, as they both knew that the woman had suffered too much and could not be allowed to suffer any more. True, she would pine for a while, believing her only remaining son had perished, but then she would move on, and everything would be as it should.

Ginrei had given his reluctant approval, because he could ask no more of the broken young man, who had sacrificed so much for a clan, that was not even his by blood.

And so, Isshin had left, and Byakuya had finally come into his own.

Eager to not repeat the mistakes he had made with the boy's father, Ginrei showered the young man with his affection, and personal approval, unlike how he had done with Kouga. Nevertheless, in a twist of fate, it had the exact opposite of the intended effect. Where the desire to gain Ginrei's approval had spurred Kouga to take on extraordinary risks, and had led the man to doubting his own abilities, which caused Muramasa to overwhelm him and lead to his death; it had the opposite effect with Byakuya. Gaining his grandfather's acknowledgment and approval at so young an age, made him incredibly arrogant, and prideful beyond belief. It engendered in the young man a severe superiority complex. True, he was more powerful than even his father, something that had surprised even Ginrei, but while Byakuya became the most powerful head the Kuchiki had ever seen, and managed to become the captain of the sixth division, Ginrei, finally recognizing his mistake, deigned to appoint him as the head of the family, knowing that the young man was not capable of such a responsibility yet.

There had been a brief glimmer of hope, when unexpectedly out of the blue, Byakuya had married a girl from Rukongai. An event which had caused no little amount of shock to the other noble clans. Ginrei alone had perceived the truth. Byakuya had done it, just in order to prove to everyone else that he was different from his father. His father had married his mother, a noble, and just to spite his father's memory, he had married a commoner instead. But it turned out to be an unexpected blessing. The girl, Hisana, had managed to do the unthinkable and had cracked through Byakuya's shell, and finally, it appeared as if Byakuya had gained a semblance of normalcy in his life.

Then disaster had struck, and Hisana had passed away, due to illness. To honor his wife's last request, Byakuya had adopted his wife's young sister and brought her into the clan, and that, was his last act as a normal being or so it had seemed. He then completely shut himself off, and became a cold, ruthless, and strict person, who lived his life only for the sake of living.

But now, the knowledge that his uncle was still alive, and was moving back to the soul society, with his family no less, had cracked that implacable shell. Isshin and Byakuya, had had a very tempestuous relationship of their own. Byakuya, had loathed anything to do with his father on principle, and had clashed with Isshin on more than one occasion during his childhood, and Isshin who at that time was still reeling with the loss of his brother, had lashed out at the young boy. It was no secret that Byakuya despised his uncle, and his uncle did not think too highly of him, because of the disrespect that the boy showed towards his late father.

And now, after learning that his uncle would be returning, Byakuya had argued with Ginrei ferociously, that he would not allow it, and that Isshin could not be permitted to live in the Kuchiki compound. Ginrei had quietly reminded the young man, that although he and Isshin had ceded over command of the sixth division and the clan to the young man, it was still Ginrei and not Byakuya who was the head of the family. True, Byakuya was now acknowledged as the clan head, but in his own personal family, it was Ginrei who ruled supreme, as long as he was alive, and Byakuya, furious, had stormed out of the house.

However, none of that was the current cause of his concern. His new concern was the knowledge that he now had a great-grandson, and one who looked too much like the son that he had lost.

It was as though the boy was Kouga reborn, and Ginrei vowed to do everything in his power to help this boy, and make up for his failure with Kouga, Byakuya's feelings be damned, this he swore.

* * *

Karin Kurosaki, on the other hand, had her own problems to deal with. A few weeks earlier, her father and her grandparents, had come to their home with another elderly woman, who looked very similar to their father, and had then delivered the news, which had shattered the young girl's life.

Karin had always got on well with her grandmother, Yoruichi, while Yuzu was closer to their father. Her brother on the other hand was closer to their grandfather, Urahara, who was always more distant with the family than the others.

Regardless of the fact, the revelation that she and her siblings were not even normal human beings had not gone down well with the girl.

She had always known that there was a lot of tension between Yoru-baachan and Ura-Jii, but the revelations that had been made that day, and the fact that she had another grandmother, her father's mother no less, Retsu-Baachan, (and she still had difficulty getting used to the name) was too much to bear for the nine-year old girl.

The fact that they were now supposed to leave this entire world itself and move to the afterlife, (she still could not believe that there was something like that) did not go down well with her, and she had stormed out of her house in anger.

"_You can't be serious? You expect me to believe this? I don't want to go to some weird afterlife! I have not even lived my life yet, and you are already asking me to die? Are you crazy?" she had ranted at her father, who had for the first time in memory looked at her with anger in his face._

"_It is not that we are asking you, Karin-chan," her new grandmother, Unohana, as she had called herself, spoke out softly "You are not human, despite the fact that you look like one. You are the offspring of a spiritual being, one who has been forced to live inside a human body. Despite the fact that you are unaware of it, you possess enormous spiritual power of your own, and sooner or later, it will become too much for your human body to handle and it will break down. If you are intent on staying in the mortal world, then this process will only speed up, and your human body will perish before its twenty-fifth year. Whether you like it or not, you are an immortal spiritual being, and you cannot live here in the mortal world, where your uncontrolled powers will become a danger to yourself and everyone around you," the woman had spoken softly, but Karin had for the first time felt a twinge of fear in her heart._

"_That is the reason why your mother is dead today, and your brother is a shell of his former self," Isshin spoke curtly, at which both Karin and Yuzu's jaws dropped wide open, while Yoru-baa just walked out of the room with a gaunt look on her face._

"_No.. You … it's not … you're lying," she spoke desperately looking around for confirmation from the others, while Ura–Jii just shook his head._

"_It is true, Karin" Urahara had spoken, "Just like your father, me and Yoruichi kept Masaki from knowing from the truth, like you, and because she was unaware of it, her spiritual power grew out of control, and before we could do something to rectify it, she was attacked and killed by a hollow, the only creatures in existence that can kill spirits, and it was in that attack, that your brother was almost killed, and is now barely a shell of his former self. We don't want to repeat the mistakes that happened with your mother, so, whether you like it or not, you and Yuzu will be moving to the Soul Society."_

"_And what about Ichi-nii?" Yuzu asked with tears in her eyes, even as the true reason for their brother's plight became clear to both the girl's who were heartbroken at the news. Had their brother suffered so much? And how could they have not noticed it?_

"_His soul is still too damaged to make the trip to Soul Society, but me and Unohana-san will take care of it," Urahara replied smoothly, deciding not to inform them of the fact that, they were still unsure on how to deal with Ichigo's case, because it was certain that the moment he and Byakuya met, things would degenerate into an all out war._

"_No way, if we have to go, we will all go together," Karin insisted while Unohana shook her head._

"_It is not that easy Karin-chan, both you and your sister are royalty in the Soul Society; you are both princesses of two of the highest ranked noble clans of the spiritual world, and as such, they will not allow you to live in the mortal world any longer," the old woman shook her head, while the twins looked at each other in horror._

"_You … you mean, we are not staying together?" Yuzu asked with a horrified squeak, while Karin stared at the woman with wide disbelieving eyes._

"_No, you will be able to see each other regularly, but you will be living in different locations, as you both will have different responsibilities. Karin has been claimed as the new princess of the Shihoin clan, from your mother's side, that is Yoruichi-san's family; while Yuzu has been claimed as the new princess of the Kuchiki clan, my family, your father's side that is," Unohana concluded, with a sad look on her face, while the girl's began to tear up._

"_And what about Ichi-nii? Where will he go?" Karin asked, tearing up._

"_He will not be going with you yet, since his soul is still not strong enough to survive the travel to soul society, once he is healed, he will join you there," Unohana replied softly, at which Karin had ran out of the house, unable to bear it any longer._

* * *

As she was running out blindly, Karin did not notice that she had stumbled into what seemed to be an encampment for a lot of people, near the river bank, who were dressed like Samurai, not samurai, she corrected herself, they wear the same kind of dress like Unohana-baachan, they must be … _shinigami._

The encampment, in fact, was the place where the ninth and thirteenth divisions of the Gotei 13 had relocated themselves to, in order to find the elusive king of hollows. After the kidnap of Soifon, the second division had been recalled, and the ninth division under the command of Kaname Tosen, had been sent instead to back the thirteenth division led by Ukitake Jushiro.

As Karin accidentally walked in, few of the members of the ninth division who were present, stopped whatever they were doing and looked at the girl, who was emitting quite a bit of Reiatsu.

One of the shinigami turned to his companions quietly, "Oi… is that human girl actually looking at us?"

"Nah … not possible, but still, better get Hisagi Fukutaicho here, just to be certain, that's quite a bit of reiatsu that she is letting out..."

Meanwhile, Karin, unaware of the danger she was in, approached them, "Hey, who are you guys and what are you doing here?"

Instantly, the men became alert and withdrew their swords, and pointed them at the little girl, who became terrified.

"How do you know of us, girl? How can you even ... see us?" one of the men asked gruffly, while Karin, taken aback at the sudden turnaround, shuffled nervously.

"What do you … mean? Why shouldn't I not ... see ... you?" she asked with a bit of defiance as the men raised their eyebrows.

"Ho … you must have quite a bit of spiritual power within you … to actually see us, yare yare … this is so troublesome," one of the men sighed, as he looked at each of his colleagues, who nodded grimly.

"Wait … spiritual power, you are shinigami, aren't you? From the Soul Society …" Karin blurted out in surprise. Apparently, it was the wrong thing to say, as the men advanced on her menacingly.

"How do you know about the Soul Society? Who are you?" one of the men asked harshly, even as he violently twisted Karin's hand and yanked her forward.

Hot tears burst out of Karin's eyes even as she winced in pain, "Wait, my grandparents are shinigami … please …," Karin began, only when the man twisted her arm even more.

"Do not lie to us girl, now tell us the truth," he growled, when one of his colleagues stopped him.

"That's enough, Kasaki, this is obviously beyond us. However, humans cannot be allowed to know about the Soul Society. You know the law, let's just kill her, and take her soul to the Seiretei," the man advised, while Karin went pale.

In desperation, she kicked with all her strength at her captor's groin, and the man buckled due to the unexpected shock and moaned in pain, while Karin used the chance to run back to her home.

"You little bitch … after her, kill her," she could hear the man's screams, and ran with all possible speed to her home, even as the men began to pursue her.

* * *

She fled towards her home, knowing that her only hope was with her family, however, a thirteen-year-old girl was no match for the hardened shinigami, who soon caught up with her. The man, Kasaki, whom she had kicked, knocked her down with a vicious backhand, and she screamed in pain as she fell down, while he advanced upon her with his sword drawn.

She closed her eyes and waited for the deathblow as the man charged at her with a yell. She waited with baited breath, for the sword to pierce her, to take her life when suddenly something wet and warm splashed on her face, while the area became saturated with screams. When she opened her eyes, she found herself mesmerized at the sight in front of her.

Standing in front of her was the one person she had never expected to see, her brother, Kurosaki Ichigo. Ichigo was wearing a black colored outfit similar to the shinigami, only difference being that his coat was long sleeved, and was nearly ankle-length in size. In his hands, was a sword similar to that of the shinigami, a standard-sized katana with a purple hilt-wrapping and a guard consisting of a circle with a pentagon-like shape in the center and three points protruding from the edges evenly spaced apart, which was covered in a slick of blood. Nevertheless, what shook her to her core was the look of intense hatred in her brother's eyes. Never before had she seen such emotion in her brother's face. It was almost as if he was radiating heat, like a living battery.

However, she soon broke out of her stupor, and gazed around, only to stifle a gasp. The entire area was awash with corpses. All the men who had chased after her were dead, being impaled upon their own weapons. She looked in horrified fascination, as her brother sheathed his sword, and turned his attention on her.

"Karin, get behind me," he spoke in an uncharacteristically strong tone, while Karin just gaped at her brother. _Her father and grandparents was one thing, but her brother?_

"Now … Karin," Ichigo growled, only to blink unexpectedly, as she ran full tilt into him, and hugged him deeply, burying her face in his chest, even as she began to weep uncontrollably.

For a second, Ichigo hesitated, even as he softly ruffled her hair, as he whispered, "it's all right, I am here, as long as I am here, nothing will happen to you," he continued to console the child, even as she shuddered.

Suddenly, their reverie was broken as a multitude of voices could be heard.

"Over there…"

"We found them …,"

A group of ninth division shinigami appeared with a pronounced flash in the area, and after taking one look at the corpses of their comrades, they unsheathed their zanpakuto in unison.

Instantly, Karin moved behind her brother, and watched fearfully as the men began to advance towards them.

Suddenly, she felt it again, it appeared as if her brother was becoming hotter every second, and she could even see the faint outline of a blue colored glimmer, surrounding her brother.

She couldn't also help but notice, that whatever her brother had done, had frozen their attackers in their place, who were …_ were they looking at her brother with … fear?_

"Leave…," Ichigo growled, even as the men flinched in shock at seeing such Reiatsu emerging from the strange boy.

"Leave now," Ichigo commanded again, as he glared at them, "leave now and I will spare your lives, if not …," he warned, and just as it seemed that they were about to obey him, they stopped as a new voice came out quietly, "It's not the place of a mere Ryoka to command us."

As one, the shinigami parted, to allow the newcomer to come forward, while one of the men whispered, "Hisagi-fukutaicho."

Shuuhei Hisagi, the lieutenant of squad 9, stiffened as he looked at the Ryoka, and the little girl behind him, and as his gaze fell upon the corpses of his squad members, they hardened, even as his blade slid effortlessly out of its sheath.

"Karin, get behind me, but stay within my line of sight," Ichigo ordered his sister, even as she hastened to obey her brother.

The very next second, Hisagi struck, and both he and Ichigo vanished in a blur. Attack, defend, counterattack, dodge, the two of them clashed and broke apart in a dance that anyone less powerful than a lieutenant couldn't even begin to follow.

However, after a few seconds, it all ended, at which Hisagi was left standing near his people, bleeding profusely from a multitude of injuries, and panting to stay upright, while Ichigo stood alone, unscathed, and apparently, not even winded.

"You … are strong, very strong," Hisagi gasped, even as he forced his blade into his hands, "but for the sake of the ninth division, I cannot lose, I will not lose …," the young lieutenant took a step forward, when a new voice interrupted, "Hisagi-kun, stay back."

"Tosen-taicho," Hisagi whispered, even as the captain of the ninth squad, Kaname Tosen walked in. Wearing his trademark visor, and his dreadlocked hair in a ponytail, the captain of the ninth squad, walked in, even as he assessed the situation.

Ichigo stiffened, as he had not expected to encounter one of Aizen's lieutenants so early. Tosen, of course, was no threat to him. Nevertheless, he needed to decide on his course of action now, because he did not wish to alert Aizen about his true capabilities yet, unnecessarily, but then again, he had valid cause, and such a chance to get rid of one of Aizen's lieutenants without any repercussions would not come again.

Fortunately for him, Tosen made that decision himself as he unsheathed his zanpakuto and walked forward, unaware of the true nature of the foe he was facing.

"I am very sensitive to the smell of blood you know," Tosen continued, as he gazed at his lieutenant, even as he moved forward, "besides, you are no match for this boy in your current condition," he muttered as he withdrew his zanpakuto and settled into an Iai stance, while Ichigo prepared himself.

"Let's go," he whispered as he stepped seamlessly into Shunpo, and charged at the boy.

What happened next, would be etched forever in Soul society's history as one of its greatest upsets.

As Tosen rapidly approached his enemy, for a second, he could not feel his opponent's Reiatsu at all. He had felt the boy, when he was fighting his lieutenant, and his Reiatsu was higher than Hisagi's no doubt, but it was not equal to that of a captain, and now it appeared that he had expended it all, while fighting his lieutenant.

As he flashed in front of the boy, he swung his blade in a horizontal strike, intending to decapitate the boy in one strike, only to freeze when the boy caught his zanpakuto, within his bare hand, eliciting a horrified gasp from all the shinigami who were present.

_Impossible! He caught my blade, mine! Dodging it, I could understand, though he shouldn't even be able to see me move at that speed in the first place, but he actually stopped my blade! Even so, dodging it, I could understand … but this…_

Tosen was so lost in his thoughts due to his shock, that he couldn't react to what happened next, and neither could his subordinates, who were in the same state of shock as him.

Before any of the shinigami could recover from their shock, Ichigo cleanly snapped Tosen's zanpakuto in half with his bare hand, and before the man could react, he forcibly plunged the broken foot-long blade in his hand into Tosen's forehead to the hilt.

Instantly, Kaname Tosen's eyes widened in shock, even as his broken blade fell from his hand, while his body shuddered for a second before going limp, as he crashed down.

He did not get up again.


	7. Revealed

"Report," the voice of the captain-commander was cold, and harsh, even as he gazed at the kneeling and decidedly uncomfortable looking third seat of the fourth squad, Yasochika Iemura.

Iemura, for his part could barely lift his head as the captain-commander's spiritual pressure saturated the room. From his kneeling position, he glanced around the room, from his peripheral vision, and gulped. Of the thirteen captains of the Gotei 13, currently, as incomprehensible as it sounded to him, three were missing, three more were convalescing in the hospital, and another was dead.

"Sir, as of now, Captain Komamura of the seventh has been sedated, and is being prepared for surgery. His body has undergone extreme shock after being subjected to an incantation less Hado 90: Kurohitsugi, and as such, we are waiting for Captain Unohana to arrive and take charge of the situation."

From the sidelines, Ukitake, Kyouraku, Byakuya, Kenpachi and Aizen narrowed their eyes at that tiny bit of information. Incantation less usage of level ninety Kido was exclusively the forte of captain level shinigami, and even then, amongst the thirteen of them in existence, at best only three could claim that level of proficiency. The captain-commander, Unohana Retsu, & Aizen Sosuke, the sole recognized Kido Master in the Seiretei after the exile of Tsukabishi Tessai.

"Continue," the gravelly voice of the Captain-commander came out, even as Iemura gulped and droned on, "Captain Histugaya Toshiro, is currently unconscious, with a severe concussion, and is not expected to regain consciousness for at least a week. On the other hand, Captain Ichimaru has suffered a broken jaw, a dislocated shoulder, and three cracked ribs. He will be out of the field for at least three months. All of their injuries appear to have been inflicted by hand."

Yamamoto narrowed his eyes, as he took in the facts, mastery in Kido, enough to use level ninety spells almost instantaneously, and with enough power, to instantly incapacitate a captain, and also in possession of hand to hand combat skills, which were enough to take out two captains simultaneously. This new threat was growing in proportions minute by minute. But something was off about this, deep down his old bones; even Yamamoto realized that everything was not as it appeared, even as he absently dismissed Iemura, much to the man's relief and oblivion.

Just then, his lieutenant, Chojiro Sasakibe, appeared in the room, and bowed down in front of him. "Sotaicho, I have compiled a report from the initial interrogations, and I have even acquired a memory enhancer from the twelfth division to display the sequence of events as they have occurred, sir," the kneeling man reported, even as Yamamoto grunted.

"Where are captains Unohana, Shihoin and Urahara?" the old commander asked, even as his lieutenant looked up, and for the first time, even Yamamoto noticed that his seemingly eternally unflappable aide, appeared flustered.

"Sotaicho-dono, Lady Unohana, Lady Shihoin, and Captain Urahara have departed for the living world, sir," he concluded, even as a ripple of surprise spread through the assembled captains.

Yamamoto raised his eyebrows, even as Sasakibe continued.

"Lady Unohana's departure was reported in the morning, but in the late afternoon, Captains Shihoin and Urahara departed for the living world as well, around half an hour after the death of captain Tosen was reported, along with two more companions," he concluded, as Yamamoto looked at him with incredulity.

"Companions?" he asked, wondering who in soul society would be willing to be seen in public with Yoruichi and Urahara, because despite their reinstatement, the previous stigma of exiles and traitors had shadowed their every step in the Gotei, and they were virtually social outcasts; as apart from their colleagues in the Gotei 13, no one else even deigned to look at them.

Sasakibe steadied himself and replied curtly, "Lord Ginrei Kuchiki & Lord Shihoin Chichiri were seen accompanying them to the material world."

"What?" Byakuya blurted out in shock at hearing his grandfather's name with the most unlikely companions, mentioned in the report. "Lieutenant Sasakibe, you must be mistaken, my honored grandfather has not entered the material world for the last 800 years, are you really certain?" he asked in complete amazement, even as the other captains, analyzed the information.

Aizen had been taken for a complete loop, and not for the first time, found himself flustered. _Urahara, with the heads of two of the five noble houses?_ That was inconceivable, even in his wildest dreams. What would two of the most influential men in the soul society have to do with Urahara, much less risk being seen with him in public, willingly?

"Captain Kuchiki," Sasakibe's voice was steady, "their departure was through the personal senkaimon gate of the Kuchiki clan," he continued, even as Byakuya allowed himself to be shocked into silence.

"That is neither here nor there," Yamamoto retorted, wresting back control of the situation, even as he looked at his deputy. "Dispatch a messenger to summon Unohana back to soul society, to deal with the medical emergency that has arisen," he ordered, even as Sasakibe sent a hell butterfly with that effect to the fourth squad.

"Continue with the report," he ordered, even as Sasakibe nodded, and brought out a sheaf of notes.

"This report is compiled with the testimony of the survivor's of the ninth squad, who first came into contact with the two Ryoka, responsible for these turn of events," he began as all the captains began to listen with rapt attention.

"Around 6:00 in the evening in the material world, seven hours ago, the 18th platoon of the ninth squad, encountered the first of the two Ryoka, a thirteen-year old human girl," he paused, as the eyes of the captains widened.

"A child?" Yamamoto himself asked in incredulity as Sasakibe nodded.

"Wait, lieutenant Sasakibe, do you mean to tell that a mere thirteen year old human child was actually able to interact with soul reapers?" Aizen asked with surprise in his tone, even as the man nodded his head in agreement.

"Upon seeing the men, the girl approached them, and asked what soul reapers were doing in the real world, at which our men were understandably surprised, for living mortals do not even have the knowledge of Soul Society's existence."

"She identified them, and asked about Soul Society? She actually referred to Soul Society by name?" Ukitake asked in an incredulous tone, at which Sasakibe nodded in agreement, while Yamamoto grunted, and hardened his eyes.

"Upon which, the men of the ninth squad, decided to apprehend her, and to liberate her soul, and bring it to Soul Society for interrogation," Sasakibe added delicately, knowing how sensitive an issue it was with few of the captains.

"They attempted to slay a thirteen year old child?" Kyouraku growled, even as some of the other captains frowned. While the law of soul society stated that any mortals with the knowledge of Soul Society were to have their memories erased, in certain situations, the soul reapers involved in the situation did have the discretionary authority to slay the mortals in question, and capture their soul and bring it to soul society in order to be interrogated. While many other divisions had abhorred and banned this practice, deeming it morally unethical, a few traditionalist and conservative divisions, specifically, the first, the sixth, and the ninth, did indulge in this option, although rarely.

But seeing as it was the ninth division, whose captain was known to be a zealot for following laws and tradition to the letter, it did not surprise them that members of this division had opted for this method.

"Continue," Yamamoto growled even as he released a flare of his reiatsu to warn the captains to stay in line, even as he looked at his lieutenant who was looking decidedly uncomfortable.

"As soon as the men accosted her, the girl somehow managed to escape their grasp and fled from the scene, with the men in pursuit, however, it was here that the second Ryoka, whom we have now identified as the girl's elder brother, intervened," he paused for effect as he looked at the captains, who were now listening with rapt attention.

"The young teenager instantly intervened and slew every single member of the 18th platoon. There were no survivors," Sasakibe concluded, even as Yamamoto's reiatsu flared in anger.

"A single Ryoka, managed to slay an entire section of soul reapers?" Aizen asked with a careful tone, even as Sasakibe nodded.

"Perhaps, it would be better if we were to witness the events that occurred afterwards, complied from the memories of the members of the ninth division, who were present, for I truly have no words to explain what occurred afterwards," Sasakibe paused, even as he motioned for the members of the twelfth squad, led by their vice-captain, Kurotsuchi Nemu, to come forward.

As the members of the twelfth squad, began to set up the equipment, Yamamoto quietly gazed at his vice-captain, whom he could not ever, remember as being so flustered. He wondered what it was, that could have unsettled his vice-captain so much. He would get his answer two minutes later.

* * *

As the equipment was initialized, a holographic screen came up; even as the events were shown from the view point of the members of the ninth division from the sidelines.

_The corpses of the slain soul reapers were seen lying on the ground, even as at the distance, they could see a little girl crying her heart out, while a slightly older boy was seen comforting her. Then, as the screen came into focus, the face of the boy came into view …_

"**Impossible! It can't be …**," Ukitake blurted out in shock as he gazed at the face, even as Kyouraku's jaws dropped open in amazement, while Yamamoto of all people almost stumbled, almost.

"Kouga! No, it can't be, he is dead …, he has to be," Ukitake blurted out, even as Kyouraku hissed in warning, but the damage had already been done.

"Kouga…," Aizen asked in surprise, even as he made note of the name. For even the captain-commander to lose his composure, and almost frighten Ukitake, there was something much deeper going on here, Aizen realized, even as he noticed the looks of absolute horror on the face of Kyouraku and the Sotaicho, _and was that actually anger on Byakuya Kuchiki's face?_

"No, look closely, the face has certain similarities yes, but there are many more fundamental differences, for one, the color of his hair is all wrong, and his eyes have a different color as well," Kyouraku pointed out, even as Ukitake composed himself.

"The Ryoka's identity can be speculated upon later, continue …," Yamamoto ordered, even as the projection continued.

_"Over there…"_

_"We found them …,"_

_A group of ninth division shinigami appeared with a pronounced flash in the area, and after taking one look at the corpses of their comrades, they unsheathed their Zanpakuto in unison._

_Instantly, the girl moved behind her brother, and watched fearfully as the men began to advance towards them._

_Suddenly, she felt it again, it appeared as if her brother was becoming hotter every second, and she could even see the faint outline of a blue colored glimmer, surrounding her brother._

_She couldn't also help but notice, that whatever her brother had done, had frozen their attackers in their place, who were … were they looking at her brother with … fear?_

_"Leave…," the boy growled, even as the men flinched in shock at seeing such Reiatsu emerging from the strange boy._

_"Leave now," he commanded again, even as he glared at them, "leave now and I will spare your lives, if not …," he warned, and just as it seemed that they were about to obey him, they stopped as a new voice came out quietly, "It's not the place of a mere Ryoka to command us."_

_As one, the shinigami parted, to allow the newcomer to come forward, while one of the men whispered, "Hisagi - fukutaicho."_

_Shuuhei Hisagi, the lieutenant of squad 9, stiffened as he looked at the Ryoka, and the little girl behind him, and as his gaze fell upon the corpses of his squad members, they hardened, even as his blade slid effortlessly out of its sheath._

_"Karin, get behind me, but stay within my line of sight," the boy ordered his sister, even as she hastened to obey her brother._

_The very next second, Hisagi struck, and both he and the Ryoka vanished in a blur. Attack, defend, counterattack, dodge, the two of them clashed and broke apart in a dance that anyone less powerful than a lieutenant couldn't even begin to follow._

_However, after a few seconds, it all ended, at which Hisagi was left standing near his people, bleeding profusely from a multitude of injuries, and panting to stay upright, while the Ryoka boy stood alone, unscathed, and apparently, not even winded._

_"You … are strong, very strong," Hisagi gasped, even as he forced his blade into his hands, "but for the sake of the ninth division, I cannot lose, I will not lose …," the young lieutenant took a step forward, when a new voice interrupted, "Hisagi-kun, stay back."_

_"Tosen-taicho," Hisagi whispered, even as the captain of the ninth squad, Kaname Tosen walked in. Wearing his trademark visor, and his dreadlocked hair in a ponytail, the captain of the ninth squad, walked in, even as he assessed the situation._

_"I am very sensitive to the smell of blood you know," Tosen continued, as he gazed at his lieutenant, even as he moved forward, "besides, you are no match for this boy in your current condition," he muttered as he withdrew his Zanpakuto and settled into an Iai stance, while the boy prepared himself._

_"Let's go," he whispered as he stepped seamlessly into Shunpo, and charged at the boy._

_As he flashed in front of the boy, he swung his blade in a horizontal strike, intending to decapitate the boy in one strike, only to freeze when the boy caught his Zanpakuto, within his bare hand, eliciting a horrified gasp from all the shinigami who were present._

_Tosen was so lost in his thoughts due to his shock, that he couldn't react to what happened next, and neither could his subordinates, who were in the same state of shock as him._

_Before any of the shinigami could recover from their shock, the boy cleanly snapped Tosen's Zanpakuto in half with his bare hand, and before the man could react, he forcibly plunged the broken foot-long blade in his hand into Tosen's forehead to the hilt._

_Instantly, Kaname Tosen's eyes widened in shock, even as his broken blade fell from his hand, while his body shuddered for a second before going limp, as he crashed down._

_He did not get up again._

Silence, utter horrified silence reigned in the hall. The captains were visibly nauseated at seeing one of their own, being brought down with such devastating ease.

Ukitake was drowned in thought. That the boy was related to Kuchiki Kouga, of that, there was no doubt in his mind, not anymore. The move that the boy had used in his duel with Tosen, was the exact same move that Kouga had used against him in his own ill-fated duel with the rogue. Unlike Tosen, he had been fortunate enough to survive, although it had left a mark on him. He idly crossed his breast, where the scar-mark of the puncture-wound inflicted by Kouga upon his lungs was still present.

Similarly, Kyouraku and Yamamoto were lost in their own thoughts. Byakuya, on the other hand was watching the reflection with a gimlet eye, even as his mind, burned the image in his memory.

Kenpachi, who had until then been completely uninterested in the proceedings of the day, showed some interest for the first time.

"Heh, I always knew that he was worthless, but I didn't know it was to this extent. Fucking disgrace, that is what it is," he muttered, even as he analyzed Ichigo's image.

Yamamoto shot him a chastising glare.

"Continue," Yamamoto ordered at which, Sasakibe nodded.

"Upon the confirmation of Captain Tosen's death, the ninth squad immediately alerted the Soul Society, upon which Captains Komamura, Ichimaru and Hitsugaya were dispatched to apprehend the Ryoka. The following memories were obtained from the members of the Onmitsukido, who were present at the venue."

* * *

_At the death of their captain, the men of the ninth squad seemed completely demoralized, and were appearing to be clueless, when s__uddenly, the place was saturated with a burst of Reiatsu as a number of masked individual's teleported inside. More than sixty people, dressed completely in black wearing black face masks, drew their swords as they pointed them at the stranger. _

_The Onmitsukido.__ Along with Captains Sajin Komamura, Gin Ichimaru, & Hitsugaya Toshiro._

"_Surrender your __Zanpakuto__, and identify yourself, and submit to our custody," __Toshiro__ ordered curtly as he looked at the __Ryoka__ who looked almost … apathetic at the turn of current events. _

_The Ryoka just looked at him, and scoffed._

"_You have more important matters to attend to … little boy," the teenager retorted even as he pointed disdainfully at the corpses of the slain shinigami as he spoke curtly, _"_I would have spared their lives, but they attacked a member of my family, and therefore I was forced to slay them. There has already been enough loss of life. Just take them, and crawl back to whatever hole you came out of, and if you value your lives, never return," he scoffed, even as he sheathed his blade and turned around._

_Toshiro bristled with fury at the casual disdain in which he was treated, and drew his blade with a snarl, when a firm hand grasped his wrist._

"_You have murdered the members of the Soul Society, and you are in violation of its laws. Submit to our authority, and you will be dealt with fairly," Komamura's deep baritone voice came within his helmet, even though it was obvious to everyone that he was greatly restraining himself . _

"_Tell me, Shinigami," the boy retorted coldly, as he looked at the captain, "Why … must I obey the laws of a place to which I do not belong? Your men attempted to slay my sister, a young girl barely thirteen years of age, and I intervened to save her life. Are you suggesting that I should have stayed back and allowed your men to murder a little child in cold blood to uphold your laws? Is that the kind of place you hail from, where children are murdered at a whim in the name of upholding the law? And you call your world as the afterlife, the heaven that we mortals must aspire to? If that is so, I would rather spend my life in hell, rather than spend it in your barbaric and uncivilized afterlife."_

_The words had a visible impact as most of the Shinigami lowered their eyes, and even Komamura bowed his head a fraction, acknowledging the truth in the boy's words._

"_There is a modicum of truth to your words, I admit, but mortals are not allowed to know of the afterlife, and it has been the law of the soul society for a hundred millennia, and the law must be upheld, and we will, at the cost of our lives, if we must" Komamura insisted, even as the boy narrowed his eyes._

"_And so you would have," the boy retorted, "but unfortunately for you captain, we … that is to say, me and my sister … are not ordinary mortals. We are the descendants of Soul Reapers, our parents are soul reapers, our grandparents are soul reapers, and me and my siblings are human children sired by soul reapers, living in self-imposed exile in the mortal world."_

* * *

The projection paused as a clamor arose in the hall.

"Impossible, children sired by soul reapers in exile? But who …," Byakuya frowned in thought, when suddenly a disturbing thought occurred to him as he remembered his argument with his grandfather regarding the return of his uncle, and his … **family.**

"It can't be … is he actually …," Byakuya exclaimed in shock, not realizing that everyone was looking at him, even as he analyzed his thoughts._**Is this why after 800 years, you have deigned to set foot in the mortal world, grandfather?**_

"Byakuya," his thoughts were interrupted by the voice of Ukitake, even as he noticed the eyes of all the captains, including the Sotaicho upon him.

"Captain Kuchiki, do you know who this boy is?" Aizen asked in genuine curiosity, while Byakuya frowned.

"I have my suspicions, Captain Aizen, but I must watch the rest of the memory, before I can confirm my theory," he spoke stiffly, even as Yamamoto nodded in agreement, and motioned to Sasakibe to continue the memory projection.

* * *

"_What?" Komamura involuntarily took a step back in shock at the revelation while the eyes of Ichimaru and Toshiro narrowed. _

"_Be that as it may, as the offspring of an exile, this places you under the direct authority of the laws of the soul society. Submit to our authority, and disclose the identity of your parents, and return with us to soul society, to be judged by the captain-commander, and the central 46 chambers."_

_The boy's eyes narrowed. "It seems you do not understand captain. Know this, my parents and my grandparents, may have been part of soul society, but me and my siblings are not. We were not born there, nor have we ever set foot in that place, much less even laid eyes upon it. It will be a cold day in hell, before I let the uncivilized neanderthals, of that barbaric place, lay a hand on my family. The very fact that you are still alive after making such threats to my person, is a testament to my generosity. Gather your dead, take them and leave now to bury them in peace, or else somebody else will have to come here from Soul Society to bury all of you."_

"_Enough of this drivel, Soten ni Zase, Hyourinmaru," Toshiro growled, as he unleashed his Shikai. __As __everyone__ watched, the dragon made of water, hurtled towards __the two Ryoka__ with alarming alacrity; but at the last moment, in a perfect execution of the art of Iaido, with a single strike, __t__he orange-haired __teen __cleanly bifurcated the dragon in two. However, at that moment, he frowned, while a victorious smirk adorned Hitsugaya's face. As soon as __the__ blade cut through the dragon, the entire place exploded in a shower of Icicles, which effectively enclosed the two Ryoka._

"_Hyorinmaru's ability is that it freezes anything it touches, you were foolish to attempt at facing that dragon, head – on," Hitsugaya spoke quietly while he gazed at the prison of ice that his strike had created._

"_Was that actually supposed to hurt me, little boy?" a cold voice came out, even as everybody looked up to see the orange-haired Ryoka standing in mid-air, holding his sister in his arms. The girl seemed terrified and was clinging tightly to her brother. As they all watched, the boy literally walked down to the ground, as is he was climbing down a set of stairs._

_He deposited his sister, who was by now, mercifully unconscious, on the ground, even as he muttered the words, Bakudo 81: Danku, and raised a translucent barrier to guard her. He then turned towards Toshiro, and everyone could see that his eyes were bloodshot with anger and rage._

"_Was that __petty little attack __supposed to intimidate me, __Kozo__? Know this, the difference between you and me is as vast as the distance between the sky and the earth, you wouldn't be able to hurt me, even if I blindfolded myself, and tied one of my hands behind my back, and tried to help you with my other hand," he concluded__, and to emphasize his point, he casually threw his Zanpakuto away, and arrogantly beckoned Hitsugaya to come forward, at him again._

_Toshiro sprang to the attack, blistering speed and aggression turning him into a blur as he led with his foot in a lancing kick. The Orange-haired boy for his part was no longer in front of the kick and lashed out with a counter-punch which instantly forced Toshiro to drop his Zanpakuto. _

_Toshiro grit his teeth but forced himself to stay calm; getting angry would do nothing but hand his enemy an advantage; damn, how fast was he moving to almost get behind me? It wasn't a question he had much time to ponder as for the first time he could remember, his opponent went on the attack and Toshiro found himself back-pedaling and dodging rapidly to try and avoid the rapid jabbing strikes that were flying towards him. He wasn't entire successful in this endeavor and a few agonizing jabs of pain bloomed in his forearms, one in his ribs as the tips of his enemy's fingers hit home like blunted iron weight, but despite the pain he smiled grimly to himself; in his urge to hit him, the foolish and overconfident Ryoka was leaving larger and larger holes in his defense and one good strike through them would be enough to bring him down. There! a slip, the faintest hint of improper footwork and Toshiro struck like a coiled spring, bringing the heel of his foot around in a lightning strike towards the gaping gap that had appeared in his opponents' defenses; glancing over his shoulder to direct his attack however, it was only when he saw the blue eyes flare open with dangerous intent that he realized the gap he was aiming towards was nothing more than a cunning ambush and he'd walked right into it._

_The foot that appeared to be slipping suddenly rifled forwards like a cannonball and had a similar effect on Toshiro's standing leg; balance destroyed by the low kick the Captain began toppling helplessly forwards, roundhouse kick losing both momentum and direction as his body position collapsed downwards to where his opponent was eagerly awaiting him. Having slid into a crouch from his kick, the Ryoka now used all the power in his thighs, hips and the torsion from his waist to straighten up with one trailing arm and catch Toshiro under the chin with the crook of his elbow, a devastating clothes-line lifting the Captain clean off his feet. Not wanting to carry this spar as his opponent had obviously lost, the orange-haired teen casually continued his brief spin but this time angled his arm downwards, dropping to one knee as he slammed his opponent neck-first into the dirt._

_Toshiro was unconscious before his heels hit the floor._

* * *

The captains watched spell-bound in a thrall, as they watched the greatest prodigy to have arisen in the Spirit academy in the last 800 years, be thrashed soundly, now by a boy who appeared to be an even greater prodigy. The Ryoka's movements, and his skills, they were remarkably similar to an ancient form of hand to hand combat, no longer taught, but was painfully familiar to all the senior captains present, by experience.

* * *

"_Move, Capture him," __Komamura__ ordered coldly as the Onmitsukido members charged forward with a yell, with their blades raised. The __Ryoka__ looked at all of them dispassionately and simply released a burst of Reiatsu as he expelled it through his wrist, which had the effect of forcing every member of the Onmitsukido to stop in his tracks, rendering them unable to move even an inch. _

_With a single gesture of his wrist, the __teen__ had immobilized the entire squad of Onmitsukido, and rendered it helpless._

"_What the hell?"_

"_We can't move!"_

"_Taicho! He has paralyzed us completely! We can't move!"_

_Without a word, __Komamura__ brought h__is own Z__anpakuto forward and charged at the stranger, using a flash step, intending to behead him with a single strike. However, the __boy__ deftly avoided h__is__ assault with a flash step of his own and simply raised his left wrist and flicked his middle finger towards __the captain__'s direction, before he could regain h__is__ footing. The effect of that simple gesture was devastating, as __Komamura__ was sent flying away with enough force to crash through two buildings at the opposite end of the street. _

_With a snarl, the captain got up, his head armor damaged, and his true visage revealed to everyone. _

"_Roar, Tenken …" he released his Shikai, as a massive 200 foot long spiritual apparition of his blade swung down upon the Ryoka, crumbling the area around him. Before Komamura could recover from his move, the image of the Ryoka before him vanished, as the boy appeared in front of him in a blazing flash step._

_Before the captain could do anything, the boy muttered a single phrase, "Hado 90: Kurohitsugi", and as everyone watched, a pure torrent of eldritch energy encased the captain from head to toe in the form of a rectangular box, even as numerous spears of the same energy perforated the rectangular cage from all sides before shattering; revealing an extremely lacerated Sajin Komamura, who collapsed to the ground, unconscious even before he hit it._

"_Ikorose, Shinso," the voice of Gin Ichimaru came out, even as his blade pierced through the abdomen of the boy, at a speed faster than that of light. For a moment, it appeared as if Ichimaru had won, as the Ryoka sagged, but then, to the captain's sheer amazement, his body vaporized, indicating that it was a clone._

_Before Ichimaru could react, the Ryoka boy, appeared in front of him, and gathered a massive amount of Reiatsu, in his right fist, and with a resounding cry of 'Ikkotsu', he let fly. The devastating impact of that punch was evident as Ichimaru was sent away, flying, and collided with a tree on the opposite end of the road, bleeding and barely conscious. _

_After taking down the three captains, the boy slowly walked towards his unconscious sister, when the members of the ninth division, led by the injured Shuuhei Hisagi, appeared in front of him. Snarling, the teen raised his hand, and his Zanpakuto came soaring through the air into his hand. With a snarl, the boy slashed his sword downwards, while creating a deep gouge in the ground. He then took a step forward towards the injured shinigami, who despite their peril, stood their ground._

_"_**That is enough!" **_suddenly, a voice cut in, and everybody turned around to see Captain Unohana walk out, looking pensive, as she moved in between the Ryoka and the shiniga_mi.

"_Sheathe your blade," Unohana spoke sternly as she looked at the boy, "I will not repeat myself, Ichigo," Captain Unohana spoke softly, at which the boy, now identified as Ichigo allowed his Zanpakuto to slide back into its sheath with an audible click, and then without uttering a word, walked away towards the barrier where he had deposited his sister to pick her up, while the shinigami scampered to get out of his way._

_Looking at the flustered and curious look on Hisagi's face, Unohana allowed a small smile to grace her lips, "Lieutenant Hisagi, please accept my apologies on behalf of my grandson. I will instruct him to curb his impulsiveness, so that such a debacle will not take place again," she bowed slightly, while Hisagi's jaws dropped open in shock, even as he slowly sheathed his blade. Then the weight of Unohana's words hit him like a ton of bricks falling upon his head._

"_WAIT! DID YOU SAY HE WAS YOUR GRANDSON?" Hisagi asked as his eyes widened to their maximum possible limit._

"_Indeed. However, I apologize on his behalf, lieutenant, he can be quite difficult at times. Now, please excuse me, I have much work to attend to," Unohana spoke softly, as she walked aside, to tend to the critically injured shinigami, leaving Hisagi spluttering and gaping like a newborn child._

* * *

Pure unadulterated shock, those were the only words possible to describe the looks upon the faces of all the captains including the Sotaicho.

"My God … is he … actually Retsu's grandson?" Ukitake muttered in shock, while for the first time in centuries, Aizen Sosuke, a man whose brilliant scheming and Machiavellian plots had completely fooled the entire population of the most powerful military in any dimension; a man known for nothing so much as his multi-layered genius and unimaginably complicated plots, both amazing even considering the millennia he'd had to practice them; a man who was, in short, possibly the most clever schemer Soul Society had ever seen, stood entranced, watching in fascination as he saw something that he had never imagined to be possible, occur in front of him, and for once, with him being unable to discern the current situation. He found that feeling rather irritating.

"How …," Kyouraku, who was probably for the first time in his existence, feeling completely overwhelmed, gazed at the memory in fascination.

Yamamoto was deep in thought, and what went on in his mind was for him and him alone.

Suddenly, all of their thoughts were interrupted as a hell butterfly made its way to Chojiro Sasakibe, who after a few minutes, stood up and looked at his captain.

"Sotaicho-sama, Lady Unohana has just sent a message to the Central 46 chambers, bearing the signature of herself as the regent of clan Yamamoto," he paused, at which Genryuusai widened his eyes in shock, even as Sasakibe continued, "along with the signatures of Lord Ginrei Kuchiki on behalf of the Kuchiki clan," here Byakuya narrowed his eyes, as now his doubts were confirmed, "and finally with that of Lord Chichiri on behalf of the Shihoin clan."

"And the message," Yamamoto asked with an inscrutable tone, even as Sasakibe continued, while all the captains watched with baited breath.

"The identity of the Ryoka boy, responsible for the death of Captain Kaname Tosen, and the defeat of Captains Sajin Komamura, Gin Ichimaru, and Hitsugaya Toshiro has been confirmed. His name is Kurosaki Ichigo, son of Kurosaki Isshin, formerly known as Kuchiki Isshin, the erstwhile captain of squad six. His maternal grandparents, have been identified, as Captain Shihoin Yoruichi of clan Shihoin, and Captain Kisuke Urahara, formerly of the Shiba clan. His paternal grandparents have been identified, as Lady Unohana Retsu of Clan Yamamoto, and Captain Kurosaki Baishin of Clan Kurosaki, the erstwhile captain of squad ten. He is the first shinigami to have been born in 15,000 years, with the bloodlines of the head families of all the five noble clans flowing in his veins. And as the grandson of Lady Unohana, he happens to be … _your great-grandson_. As such, the central 46 have decreed that a shinigami of such esteemed pedigree cannot be allowed to remain in the mortal world for even another second. They have requested that the remaining captains of the Gotei 13, personally escort the Kurosaki clan back to the Soul Society."

As all the captains watched, Yamamoto stood up, and without uttering a word, walked out of the hall, with his cloak billowing behind him.

* * *

Authors Note: Damn, it feels good to be back. It has been nearly a year, but just when I was beginning to think that I had lost all inspiration to write fanfics again, it just came back. This is not up to my old standard yet, but I will get back in rythm, soon.

With regards to this chapter, while you all may think that I overopowered Ichigo drastically, it is not so, remember that the captains were all at 20% power, while Ichigo was at a 100%. They underestimated him severely and paid the price for it. Still, he would have kicked their asses even at full power, but that is a chapter for another day. Also, Unohana's interaction with Ichigo at the end will be explained in detail in a later chapter.

With regards to his family line, it may look complicated, but it is linear actually. each of his grandparents are from one of the major noble houses, and he is of Kuchiki, because although not by blood, his dad is adopted in that clan, so, he is related to all the clans, the Kuchiki, the Shihoin, the Shiba (urahara's family, will be revealed later), the Kurosaki (their own), and the Yamamoto (well, that completes the circle, surprised myself with that to be sure)

More to come later, and in next chapter, Isshin kicks Byakuya in the nuts, figuratively, while Yamamoto has a one-on-one with his new grandkids, and Ichigo is swarmed by surprise, surprise, marriage proposals! poor dumb genius!


End file.
